Hidden scars
by dai86
Summary: He watches her tuck the little boy in bed. He feels cheated of the life he could have had, the family that could have been his. Tonight Itachi will confront her and get closure for years of lies and misleading.ItaSaku. Non-massacre.
1. Late night visit

**Hi. Just felt like writing something today. Hope you enjoy. Reviews are more than welcome.**

**dai86**

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**Chapter 1**

**Late night visit**

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Itachi watched her tuck the little boy in bed through the apartment window. Normally, he would consider this an invasion of her privacy, something he wasn't prone to do. Especially after their falling out. But the spying was unintentional. He came tonight to talk to her and it would be better if the boy was out of the way for this, despite him being the main topic. So he waited until the kid was asleep.

The moonlight allowed him to see clearly as she bent down to kiss little Kazuki's forehead, her long hair falling over his head. Under the dim light, pink and blond hair looked paler, making an interesting blend. He sighed slightly. He was never one to be driven by appearances, but in this case one could say that even he could suffer from hindsight.

The Uchiha watched as she silently closed the bedroom door and moved to the living room to collect scattered items, probably the handwork of the four years old. She seemed tired, he noted. Being a single parent must not be easy. Normally, a young kunoichi with her skills would be striving in a shinobi career. Either that or considering the possibility of marrying some luck guy and starting a family. She was only 22 after all.

Well, Itachi figured a son at such young age ought to change plans. The fact that nobody seemed to know the identity of the boy's father only complicated her situation. Still, he heard she had several propositions from men volunteering for the position. Itachi didn't know why this bothered him, or why the fact that she remained unattached pleased him. He had no claim over her, not anymore.

It wasn't his place to help her when she struggled with her pregnancy. He watched with concern from afar as her friends supported her through the ordeal. He had no reason to get angry at the rumors going around the village or snap at the nasty comments about the pink haired kunoichi when he happened to stumble upon them.

Dark eyes darted to her form leaving to the kitchen. Straining his ears he could hear the electric click of the stove. It was the perfect moment to confront her. It's been years since they last spoke. Nonetheless, it was hard to completely rid yourself of someone else's presence in a village. But they managed to keep their interaction to a minimum. He would spend most of his time away from Konoha on missions, and she kept herself busy with her work in the hospital and parental duties. Miraculously, out of the several times he landed on the hospital, he had never seen a glimpse of pink. He suspected it was not incidental. It was their unspoken agreement.

Their contact over the last years was limited to a few occasional encounters on the streets, when they would blatantly ignore each other. There was this one time, he recalled, when they bumped on each other in the ANBU headquarters. He noticed a glimpse of shock and trepidation a second before her face went blank and she properly apologized for her lack of attention before continuing on her way out of the building.

Feigning disinterest he later approached Jun, the officer that had been accompanying her, to question about her presence there. He seemed to have no qualms about humoring the ANBU captain and explained that the medic came to heal a prisoner. Jun made no secret of his admiration of her skills. Itachi knew this much about her, having worked with the young kunoichi before. What threw him off was the added comment that the medic seemed a little shaken in the interrogation room. There'd been three officers with her while she healed the man, despite that Jun had noticed the tension on her posture. He dismissed it to the awful condition of the prisoner. Interrogations were never pretty. But Itachi knew better. Sakura had been an excellent field medic. He'd seen her tend to gore situations with nothing but extreme professionalism. He knew what bothered her – Sakura just never seemed to get comfortable around ANBU.

Back then he pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. After all, he had made the decision to sever his bonds with the girl. And now… now what? What did he want? To rekindle their relationship in light of his newly acquired information? It didn't seem feasible. Still, he felt the need to confront her with the truth. The truth that she'd kept from him. He had drawn his conclusions from his investigation, but he needed to hear it from her. They needed to settle misunderstandings, and whatever the outcome might be, it would sprout from facts, however hurtful they were. There would be no more lies, and hopefully no more regrets.

**- 00000000 -**

Sakura finished tightening her living room and moved to the kitchen to make herself some tea before diving in the medical reports she brought from the hospital.

Reaching for her cup on the shelf she froze midway.

Stunned she slowly turned around to look over the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. Even before she laid eyes on the tall figure standing on her balcony she knew he was there. Not even years apart managed to erase the felling of his chakra from her memory. He held her gaze with his own blank one, silently asking for entrance. She could only stand there stunned, her mind trying to assimilate the fact that this man was standing on her balcony in the middle of the night, after all these years.

They seemed to stare at each other for quite some time before he cocked his head, hinting at his impatience for her lack of reaction. She shook out of it, hesitantly moving to the balcony door and sliding it open, gesturing him to enter. Without preamble he came in and as he moved passed her she reminisced on the scent of musk and rain she once knew too well. She closed the door and turned to him anxiously.

"Uchiha-san," his surname sounded so foreign on her lips. The last time she used it was right before the first time he kissed her. These last years however she simply didn't address him at all. His presence on her home now was nothing short of unexpected.

"Sakura," he addressed her with a hint of emotion, which to Itachi was something quite unusual. Her breath hitched at the sound of his voice calling her name so intimately. A sense of foreboding flooded her senses and suddenly it all felt too surreal. He kept on speaking, "we need to talk."

Dread settled on her stomach. She had feared this day would come, when he would want to confront her. She knew she wouldn't have the strength to lie to him, neither to tell him the truth. Even so, she vainly hoped this could be about something else.

"Really? What about?" She forced herself to sound casual.

"Kazuki's father," Itachi answered bluntly without missing a beat.

Sakura paled, feeling like she might sway on her feet. She tried to recompose herself the best she could. "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san. But this… it is a private matter. I mean… I'm sure you understand-"

"Stop it!" he commanded. The harshness in his tone forced her to take a step back. Sakura had forgotten how threatening this man could be. He barely raised his voice and still felt like it was reverberating through the apartment. For a second she feared her son would wake up, glancing at the bedroom door. Itachi noticed this and willed himself to calm down. "Don't worry. He won't wake up," he assured her. Sakura looked back at him, still lost for words.

"Sakura…," he started, "enough with lies and games. I just want the plain truth from you. Don't you think I deserve at least that?" He was back to his composed self. But she could see the emotions bubbling underneath. She had known this man better than anyone after all. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "Yes…"

As she opened her eyes after a long time she held his gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, you do Itachi."

The way she addressed him, finally looking into his eyes after years of averting hers away, shook him. He had forgotten how much he had missed her attention, how hard it had been… has been to get over her. No woman had ever gotten under his skin like Sakura had. And no other ever would, he came to realize. However, even after that epiphany, pride was not something he could let go of so easily. She had wounded him. And he was not one to forgive.

They were interrupted by the whistle of the kettle coming from the kitchen. She sighed and turned away. "Tea?" she offered. He followed her. Yes, it would be good to discuss four years of misleading and resentment over tea.

Tea would be good indeed.

- 00000000 -

Itachi noted the pile of files pushed to the side on the table. She had probably planned to work tonight before he showed up. Noticing her return, he looked back as she placed the cups in front of him and poured the tea in them. It surprised him that she still had these cups with cherry blossom pattern after all these years. It was one of the last gifts he had given her when they were together.

Sitting across the table from him she blew the steaming from her cup. Orange Pekoe, he recognized the scent - her favorite. It brought a jolt of memories. She took a sip of her tea, still not looking at him. He looked down at his own cup. It felt like a lifetime ago when they last had tea together. Her voice pulled him from his memories. "What…," she hesitated. "What do you want to know?" she asked from behind her own cup.

"Everything," he answered directly.

This time she faced him. "Why now? After all these years… why do you want to dig in the past? What difference does it make now?"

"Because only now I realized you deceived me."

She found almost unnerving how easily he kept his voice steady and calm.

"If it really doesn't make any difference, you should be able to disclose the truth without problem," the Uchiha insisted.

She went from surprised to angry in a blink. "Fuck you," she hissed, "are you doing this out of a whim? What right do you have to- have you even thought about my son?"

"Have you?"

He saw her move long before her hand made contact with his face. He made no move to prevent it however. Even though his cheek stung a little he showed no reaction. As he turned to face her again he was met with an angry girl bending over the table. Again he was struck with the familiarity of these emotion filled eyes. She was breathing heavily.

Anger suited her. Yes, much better than the politeness of her bland self, he realized.

"How dare you," she trembled. "Everything I had ever done was for Kazuki… everything." She whispered the last of her words lowering her head to hide the tears.

Itachi felt his heart constrict. Despite how much he longed for a reaction from her, a real one, he never liked to see her distressed to the point of crying. His hand twitched and once in a long time he indulged in his urges. He reached out for her hand, and the touch stunned him as much as it did her. She stiffened at the contact, not expecting it. Like her, he felt electricity running through his fingers. Her skin was warm to the touch as it had always been, if not a little softer. Unconsciously he sought more contact, squeezing her fingers gently and running his thumb over her knuckles. She tried to pry her hand away in a feeble attempt.

"I do not wish to distress you or Kazuki. I would never expose either of you to idle rumors. Whatever we discuss tonight is between us. I just need to know. I believe you can understand that."

He thought he felt her squeeze his hand back but only lightly. "Ok," she muttered as she sat back down, taking her hand away, "but… what brought this up now," she insisted on a more leveled tone.

"I heard Kazuki developed his kekkei gekkai."

'_Oh, so he had heard about it.'_

"I didn't realize ANBU captains busied themselves with Academy matters." Sakura drawled ironically.

"Sakura…," he frowned.

"Sorry," she apologized sincerely. "But this only proves what I told you back then," she muttered. "I never lied to you about Kazuki."

"But you didn't tell me the whole truth either." He looked at one of the pictures on the shelf, the one with Naruto holding the little boy. The kid's onyx eyes smiled in the picture. "You just let me make the wrong assumptions."

"I didn't think it would matter to you. I'd told you. Naruto has always been like a brother to me. We were never involved in that way." Her words sounded almost accusing. Maybe they were. He knew she resented him for doubting her in the past. "He is not Kazuki's father."

"I know that now –" he sounded apologetically.

"You should've known back then!" She hissed angrily.

Years ago, she managed to anger him enough to let go of the subject. Because of it he didn't pursued it anymore. It hurt too much to do so. She threw hurtful words at him, pushing him away. Her words made him believe she had betrayed him.

She'd betrayed him; he abandoned her to deal with the consequences. That's all there was to it.

At least he believed so.

But not this time. He wouldn't let Sakura push him away again. Instead of backing off or lashing angrily at her he tried something different.

"I'm sorry," he surprised her, "but I would have believed you if you had told me what really happened," he unfolded a paper and placed it on the table. "You refused to tell me who was Kazuki's father," he pushed her the paper, "and I had to find out on my own."

Sakura looked down on the paper with sad eyes, drawing forth memories better forgotten.

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**Happy New Year, everybody.**

**I´ll try to update soon.**

**dai86**

**(Edited on May,2012)**


	2. Wrong assumptions

**Hi, second chapter, hey! The plot begins.**

**Hope you like it. Please review, they are a great incentive to keep me writing.**

**Thanks.**

**dai86**

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**Chapter 2**

**Pink zircon and emeralds**

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**Five years ago...**

"Are you sure of this?" the older man asked in his authoritative tone.

"Yes, Danzou-sama," the Root agent replied.

"And you do not know the content of their conversations?"

"No sir. I've only witnessed their encounters from afar. They've met a few times in her apartment and at the hospital. I also followed her a couple of times towards the Uchiha shrine outside the village. She also went regularly to the training grounds near the Nakano River. Apparently she received clearance to train there from Uchiha Sasuke, but I didn't believe prudent to follow her within Uchiha property."

"Hn," he agreed. This could raise problems. His mouth twisted in displeasure at the lack of more information. "One may think these are nothing but romantic encounters," the older man mused, "but this is Uchiha Itachi we are talking about."

"I thought so too, sir."

Danzou looked down at the man. He did not wish for his input, he was merely thinking out loud.

Without further ado he dismissed his subordinate. Even before the knelled figure vanished he had turned around and sat in his wooden chair. This was worrisome. Haruno Sakura was someone from the Hokage inner circle of trust. And from what he had learned, her rendezvous with the Uchiha ANBU captain had been going on for several months now. '_Hn, like her association with his younger brother wasn't trouble enough.'_ But Uchiha Sasuke was an inconsequent brat. The clan wouldn't resort to him for political maneuvers. Itachi on the other hand…

He was a astute man, and like every Uchiha he probably wished to broad the clan's political influence in Konoha. And, despite her talents, Haruno was nothing more than a girl – even more stupid than a woman. It wouldn't be too hard to manipulate her to gain access to privileged information. Tsunade shouldn't trust such a young girl in her office. The idiot wouldn't even notice Itachi had been milking her for information before it was too late. Danzou would be damned if he let the Uchiha clan usurp the Hokage position.

It was his place after all.

But perhaps he could use this to his advantage. He had to think of a strategy to sway things his way. Of course, he could expose the couple, but he had nothing to gain from it. Despite the scandal, it would be all dismissed as a love affair. He could not accuse them of scheming for the Uchiha clan; after all, no one was stupid enough to confront them openly. To take down an enemy one should do the shinobi way: a kunai to the back.

He contemplated the situation. He could really benefit from an informant within Tsunade's office. No one would suspect the Haruno girl. Itachi was very cleaver indeed. But two could play that game. He just had to sway the girl his way with whatever means necessary, be it bribes or blackmail. Or he could turn her against the Uchiha heir with a little manipulation, he mused with himself. Yes, it would be the best course of action. And if everything failed, he could at least cut off the Uchiha influence in Tsunade's office.

He had been informed that the Haruno girl had departed last week to Suna for a two months mission. It would be unwise to approach her there. If they didn't manage to convince her she would have ways to contact Tsunade, or worse, Itachi. It would be too difficult to dispose of her discretely within a ninja village limits, be it Suna or Konoha. The best moment to accost her would be on her way back from Suna. If anything went wrong no one would know what took place. They could always blame rogue shinobi.

He held his chin in his fingers thinking it over for a moment. Perhaps the distance from the Uchiha could be used to his advantage. He could set things in motion while she was still in Suna. For now she was away from the Hokage's office and away from the Uchiha's influence. If he planned carefully, two months from now Danzou would either have an informant in Tsunade's office or would have removed a pebble from his shoe.

"Kouga!" he called from his chair. Immediately a man appeared in front of his desk, kneeling. "Danzou-sama," he answered respectfully.

"Get me Jin." With that the man was gone to complete his task.

Danzou had to be very careful. One mistake could cost him a lot.

**- 0000000 -**

Itachi finished packing for his mission. It was barely dawn yet but he had to be at the rendezvous point in half an hour. He opened his drawer reaching for his ANBU mask. Before he closed it however he looked at the little leather box he placed there. Opening it, he admired the jewel inside, a small white gold ring with a pink zircon stone and two small emeralds. He had it custom made in a goldsmith near the north border. Simple and beautiful.

Yes, it would suit her well.

After only one month of her absence in Konoha he realized he not only missed her, but craved her presence. He wondered if she missed him this much too, or if she typically had lunged herself at work. His duty roster didn't allow him to visit Suna on a whim. He couldn't trust messengers either, given the secret nature of their relationship.

But that was about to change. Once she was back in Konoha he would talk to her. This conversation was long delayed. So far Sakura had shown extreme patience in the face of his circumstances. But he was no fool. Her understanding didn't mean she was anyhow happy about the situation. However, it was only a matter of time now. After she comes back they'll talk, and then he'll settle things with the clan, however necessary.

Strangely, what concerned him more was Sasuke's reaction more so than the Elder's. How'd his little brother take this relationship with his teammate? Itachi had witnessed enough of her team's interactions to deduce that Sasuke and Naruto would not be too pleased. Even Hatake, despite his aloof appearance might have something to say. They were protective of each other like that.

And then there was Sakura's reaction as well.

To say Itachi was insecure was a bit much. He was sure she would be pleased with his proposition. If there was only the matter of their mutual feelings, everything would be more than perfect. There was, however, the matter of his position as clan heir to consider. Sakura had never been very outspoken concerning his clan, at least not in front of him. But he suspected she hate it with passion. As Sasuke's teammates, she and Naruto had felt firsthand how intransigent they could be.

This might give her second thoughts about considering a permanent liaison with him. Also, he had to remember she was very young and career driven. A 17 years old girl might not be ready to make such serious commitment, he contemplated.

This was pointless. He would get nowhere speculating alone in his room.

He closed the box and put back in his drawer. For now he'd worry himself with his duties. He still had a long month before his pink haired girlfriend was back.

**- 0000000 -**

**Present day...**

The clock on her wall indicated 10pm. It hadn't been long since she put Kazuki to bed. The four year old must be sleeping peacefully in his room. They had been quietly conversing in the living room. Even so, the magnitude of the subject made her feel like the boy would be disturbed by it at any moment. She feels resigned and distressed at the same time.

She's really worn out.

Itachi looks at her and is reminded of how young she really is. Despite how mature Sakura usually acts and how much responsibility she shoulders, she's only a girl who had been forced to grow up too fast. He can relate for he too was forced to be bear responsibilities at a very young age.

Sakura pushes the document he brought aside, sighing.

"If you're feeling guilty, don't... You're right. I never told you the truth. I misled you. You did what anyone would do: you've moved on. What I did… no one forced me. It was my choice. I could've told you everything back then and keep you with me. I knew you'd help me out of obligation… or guilty. But I'm sure that would have made you unhappy, made both of us unhappy. In the end I was kind of protecting myself too."

He had expected this speech from her.

"Don't try to fool yourself, or me. You did what you did to protect me, and I never asked you to," he told upfront. "And after Kazuki was born and those rumors started, you were worried about Naruto's reputation. You always think of everyone but yourself. This martyr routine is really exasperating… and useless," his non-nonsense posture was grating on her nerves. "If you had told me I would have stood by your side, not out of guilty, like you say. That would have been better for both you and Kazuki. And for me too."

She could not deny. There were times when she would indulge in dreams like this. The three of them – Itachi, Sakura and Kazuki – walking around Konoha as a family, doing ordinary things like shopping or strolling. Or just a meal in their home.

Countless times Sakura caught herself imagining breakfast with Itachi and Kazuki on this very table. Her son would complain about eating vegetables, and Itachi would scold him. The things she desired the most seemed so simple, yet so unattainable.

She snorted a laugh. "Do you remember how hard it was to keep our relationship secret? The way you would sneak into my apartment in the middle of the night? Or the furtive encounters in the shrine, or the forest? Of constantly looking over our shoulders? I even avoided looking at you in public to throw out any suspicion," she recalled. "I kid myself long enough believing it could work. You were the a clan heir. Of course they wouldn't let you be with just anybody. It didn't matter I was the Hokage apprentice, I wasn't eligible. I wasn't good enough in their eyes," she said with bitterness. "And the pregnancy," she paused searching for the right words. "The pregnancy was the last nail in the coffin." She said honestly.

"Don't you understand, Sakura? None of it mattered. I would have stood by you anyway."

Sakura searched his eyes for deceit. She knew most men would claim they'd make things right if given the chance just to sound righteous. But Itachi was not most men, and he was not one of idle words either. She was faced with his unwavering stare. "You would confront your clan? For me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," he answered with no hint of hesitation.

She didn't know why his affirmation made both her heart flutter and her stomach sink at the same time. Fighting the lump in her throat she managed to respond. "Perhaps it was for the best that things happened the way they did then. I hate that Kazuki does not have a father, but neither do so many children in the village. I'd hate even more to expose him to the scorn of your clan."

"Do you think so little of me, Sakura? If you'd let me back then, I would have been a good father to Kazuki. And no child of mine would ever be scorned by whoever it is."

She was getting tired of this pointless conversation. "Itachi, you couldn't muster the courage to assume me," she spat. "How could you have assumed a child out of the blue? Let's face it. Whatever we had would have eventually faded no matter how much we cared for each other. You had your duties to your clan, and their plans certainly didn't include me."

"You don't understand it," he reached for his pocket. "I would have gone against the clan for you no matter what," he said placing a small leather box on the table and opening it. "I was just waiting for your return from Suna at that time."

Sakura stared at the ring in the small box. It was silver and had pink and green small stones. It was simply beautiful.

Absorbing his words she tried to understand what he was saying. Itachi had gotten her this ring years ago when she was away in Suna. This means… he meant to…

Comprehension dawned on her.

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**TBC**

**I'm already working in the next chapter. I'll try to post it within a week or two.**

**In the mean time I'll watch out for your comments.**

**See ya.**

**dai86**

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	3. Commitment

**AN: Better warn the readers. I'm not the 'simply happy' and sweet kind of writer. I do appreciate a good romance and lots of fluff, BUT, I like the 'complicated happy' and a little 'twisted happy' too. After all, the sweet is never as sweet without the sour…**

**Hope nobody gets disappointed later.**

**tearsoftjoy159 – I hadn't really given much thought to the ring, but your comment made me realize it's an important issue that he'd kept it all those years. Thanks. I'll explore the idea later.**

**cherryvampiress – I imagine you like to picture a strong, kick-ass Sakura. I like that too. I've always hated FF portraying her like the damsel in distress or the victim. I just imagine this plot and that's how the character came out. She's strong in her own way, though. But I'll try to include some ass kicking scenes later. (I imagine your review was a flame, but I appreciate those too).**

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed!**

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**Chapter 3**

**Commitment**

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**Five years ago...**

The two men sat in the dango shop drinking their cold beverage. They were clearly foreign judging by their features and clothes. No one gave a second thought though. Travelers come and go through Suna all the time. They just kept on chatting quietly while savoring the sweet treats from the shop.

Jin looked across the street to the hospital entrance. "Think she'll skip lunch today again?"

Kouga direct his gaze to the same spot. "Who knows? That nurse told me she'd been pushing to finish whatever she's been doing down in the labs," he took another bite of his dango.

"You banged that brunet nurse last night?" Jin chuckled.

Kouga looked back at his teammate. Jin was a good looking nineteen years old boy, and even though he had being trained by Root, he wasn't like the standard agent. Jin had this carefree posture that conveyed the same teenage arrogance so easily found in shinobi his age. But Kouga knew better than to judge a book by its cover, especially in Root. His young peer was a prodigy from a renowned clan. Somehow Danzou had managed to enlist the boy in the organization at the age of sixteen, securing his unique kekkei genkai and gaining his loyalty over the past years. However, he was still young, and demanded careful supervision for a mission of this scope.

Answering the younger man, he gave him an aloof smile. "She's a good source of information. Besides, it gives a good reason to be here - if someone were to wonder, we are here because I'm waiting for the nurse."

"Right," he nodded at his sempai foresight, but couldn't help the suggestive observation from escaping, "maybe I should find an informant of my own to warm my bed too."

Kouga chuckled lightly, amused. From a distance they seemed nothing more than a couple of friends chatting away over a drink. That went on for some time until they glimpse a flash of pink across the street. Their target was on the move. Jin stood to follow her when his teammate pulled his sleeve forcing him back into his seat. His questioning look prompt the other man to explain, "Just wait and watch," he smirked.

Not thirty seconds later a brunet wearing hospital uniform burst out of the doors calling after the pink haired medic. They talked for a couple of minutes before both girls' eyes landed on the two men sitting in the dango shop. The brunet waved at then, and Kouga waved back, signaling then to come. The girl tugged Sakura along while Jin kept on watching the scene unfold.

"Good afternoon Kouga-kun," the girl beamed at Kouga. "This is my friend Sakura." At that the pink haired medic bowed politely. "Nice to meet you, Kouga-san."

"Hi, Sasaki-chan," he said cheerfully, then turning to the girl next to her. "Nice to meet you, Sakura-san. This is my friend Jin," he pointed to the younger man, who nodded in response. "Would you girls join us for lunch?" he asked pleasantly.

Before Sakura could object, Sasaki answered happily. "Sure! That'd be great!"

"There's a restaurant down this street. I've heard the okonomiyaki is one of the best in all five nations," Kouga said enthusiastically while already moving down the street holding Sasaki's hand. The girl immediately latched herself to his arm, following his lead. Sakura looked hesitantly toward the other man – Jin. He just shrugged and smiled, following the couple and urging Sakura to do the same.

They both walked behind the couple that chatted excitedly. Sakura wondered if she should try to fill the awkward silence on the "back seat". Before she could think of anything to say however, Jin addressed her. "So, you're a nurse at the hospital too?" The man had a friendly smile; and there was something pleasant about his voice too. Oddly, it felt somehow endearing. She found herself smiling back at him. "Not really. I'm actually a medic from Konoha."

"Oh," he chuckled, "sorry. You just look so young. I just assumed…" he didn't finish.

"Don't worry. I started studying early with a very skilled master. And she slaves me to death at work," she joked. Even if it wasn't fat from the truth.

"That explains it. How come you're so far away from home?" he asked.

"It's sort of a medical exchange program," she explained.

"Ah," he nodded. "I see. So this is your temporary residency?"

"Yes. Actually I'm going back in a few weeks. If everything works out I'll be able to return soon." He meant to continue, but before he could probe further she interjected, "What about you, Jin-san?"

"Me?" he recalled their cover story, "me and Kouga-san here are traveling back to our village in Fire country. We had to attend a wedding ceremony in Omigawa. Since we traveled this far, we thought we might as well enjoy the trip and get to know Sunagakure."

"Oh, who got married?" Sakura sounded interested.

"A childhood friend of ours. The guy swore he'd never fall in love," he chuckled, "and ended up moving to another country to marry this girl." He thought that trivial details always lent the stories a layer of truth.

"Yes, Love does this kind of thing to people," Sakura said laughing.

Before long they reached the restaurant and sat at a table closer to the street. The awning provided protection from the scorching sun and the soft breeze from the street eased the temperature a little. It felt like a pleasant place to have lunch. While waiting for their orders the four chatted amicably. Sakura was surprised at how easily she talked with this complete stranger. There was something about Jin that made her at ease, like he was a longtime friend. They talked about all sort of things: travels, friends, food, books. After their meals arrived they all agreed that it was probably the best okonomiyaki any of them have ever eaten.

Since Sasaki and Kouga were in fact a couple, Jin and Sakura ended up talking more between themselves. She had no problems about that however. He was good company. She couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun by just chatting away. Her mind drifted back to Itachi. She really loved him, but conversation was not one of his best skills. She was suddenly flooded with a felling of longing. It has been almost a month since they last saw each other after all. Sakura wondered what he must be doing right now. She was pulled from her musings by waving fingers in front of her eyes. "Sakura-san?" Jin frowned.

She threw him a reassuring smile. "Sorry Jin-san, just thinking about home."

"Ah," he grinned, "your boyfriend must really miss you after all this time."

"No boyfriend. I'm just thinking of my friends and my own home," she surprised herself at how easily the lies left her lips. She didn't know what compelled her to lie to these people she didn't know, in a place so far from Konoha. For a moment it dreaded on her that she had to lie so often about the subject that she got used to that. Before she could continue the self analysis however Jin kept on talking.

"Oh, sorry. Here I go making assumptions again. I just thought a beautiful girl like you would have someone." He said in a matter-of fact way that made her blush. Sakura didn't remember the last time someone referred to her as beautiful, at least not without mischievous intentions. Itachi was not one to throw compliments around, even if the way he looked at her sometimes made her stomach flutter. Still, it would be nice to hear this kind of things once in a while.

"Guess your career must keep you pretty busy. Besides, most men usually feel threatened by intelligent women," Jin continued. Her blush was more evident now. The way he said like it was the plain truth, without the cheesy smirk that usually accompanied this kind of flattering made her face warm. She forced her mind back to Itachi. She had a boyfriend who she loves very much. It was nowhere near appropriate to blush from some stranger's flattering.

She was only glad when he diverted the subject to another matter. "So Sakura-san, you said you'd leave in a few weeks?"

Sasaki interjected before she could respond. "I've been trying to convince her to stay longer. This way she would have more time to finish her research and wouldn't have to be holed up in that lab with those old medics all day long." She turned to the pink haired girl, "come on Sakura. I could show you around. There are great oases near Suna, you know."

"I really wish I could do that, Saki-chan. But this is work. If I don't complete this mission with a 100% success my shishou will have my head," she rubbed her neck looking authentically worried. "Besides, you know how much I miss home," she explained.

The brunet pouted in a mocking way, "Home? Riiight. Sounds more like there's a guy waiting for you."

She waved her hands defensibly in front of her while blushing. "Wh-what? No! I told you! No boyfriend!"

Sasaki laughed. "Just kidding, Sakura-chan." She watched the other girl sinking in her seat ashamed, and then amended, "but if you're really going home so soon, you're gonna let us throw you a farewell party at least, right?"

Sakura grimaced. "That's really not necessary Saki-chan."

"Please," the girl whined "everybody at my floor agreed it would be a great idea. Even Tomio-san and Keigo-kun from Radiology agreed to go."

"What?" Sakura frowned surprised, "to a party weeks away?"

"Yep," Sasaki nodded enthusiastically, "it's because we all like you so much."

Sakura was touched. Everybody had been so nice to her since she arrived. But throwing a big farewell party seemed a bit too much. "Well, if we can keep it a small party I guess it's ok," she drawled.

The brunet girl bounced happily on her seat clapping her hands in a childish gesture. She turned happily to Kouga and Jin, "of course you both are invited too."

Geez, so much for keeping it small, Sakura thought. She wanted to scold the girl but feared she'd offend the two men. Instead she reasoned, "it's too far ahead Sasaki. They probably won't be around Suna by then, right?"

"Well, actually," Jin started, "we're sort of on vacation, and we have no specific date to return."

"Oh, won't your families worry?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It's okay. We write them quite often. It's been so long since we last traveled that they won't mind if we stay away for a couple of months," Jin laid back in his seat, "my parents can handle the store by themselves for a while."

"Ah, so your family owns a store. What kind of products do you sell?" Sakura engaged in leisure conversation again.

They kept on talking until the girls remembered they had to go back to work. Both men insisted on paying for lunch, and despite Sakura's protests, she ended up complying. If that wasn't enough to embarrass her, they were adamant about walking them back to the hospital. But what really threw her off was the way Jin smiled at her as he said good bye. He had this intense, yet soft stare, like he was looking into her very soul.

After only hour of knowing this guy she was certain he was a total heartbreaker.

She entered the hospital felling his gaze burning the back of her head.

**- 000000 -**

The two undercover shinobi watched the females enter the building before turning to leave. A good while away from the hospital they felt safe to talk.

"So?" Kouga raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Like a moth to a flame," Jin sneakered. "Teenage girls are just so easy."

"So you didn't have to use your kekkei genkai on her?" his sempai mocked.

"Hn, only a little perhaps. Isn't that exactly why Danzou-sama assigned me this mission after all? My special skill? She kept on resisting me for some reason though." Jin scowled.

"Maybe you weren't charming enough to take her mind from her brooding boyfriend." The teasing tone was clear in Kouga's voice."

"Psht," Jin let out a sound of disdain, "who can be sure that the Uchiha didn't use his Sharingan on her? She doesn't seem the type to fall for apathy and sulking anyway," he justified. "She's like a little pack of sunshine and rainbows, don't you agree, sempai?" he smirked.

Kouga looked sideways at him. "What now? Don't tell me you liked the girl." He sounded more serious now. "Remember she's a target. You know we can't afford mistakes here. Danzou-sama was very clearly about the nature of this mission."

"Chill out. I know how important this is," Jin responded with the same professional tone. A few steps ahead however he completed with a devious smile. "But it doesn't mean I can't enjoy the mission."

Kouga gave him a sideways glance arching his eyebrow. "As long as you understand…", and continued down the street with his hands in his pockets.

Jin followed him after shooting a thoughtful frown back at the direction of the hospital.

**- 000000 -**

Itachi woke up later than usual, given the hour he arrived from his mission last night. That's why he was mildly surprise to find his father in the kitchen when he came down for breakfast. Normally, by this hour, his father would be attending to his business at the Police Force.

The older Uchiha was sitting in his chair reading some scroll reports over tea. Without raising his eyes he greeted his elder son. "Good morning, Itachi."

Itachi sat in his usual place at the table, "good morning, Chichi-ue," and proceeded to pour himself some tea.

Once the younger shinobi settled down at the table, Fugaku put down the scroll and pushed it aside. Obviously he had been waiting for his son to discuss something. Itachi was not sure he liked this, but couldn't help it, he just kept on arranging his meal.

"Itachi," Fugaku started, his son raised his eyes to face him. "Have you spoken to Shisui?"

"No. I arrived late from my mission. Haven't spoken to anyone," Itachi answered honestly.

"He's engaged," his father announced bluntly. At that Itachi raised an eyebrow. That was a surprise. He didn't know his cousin was involved with someone. And Shisui wasn't one to make sudden decisions. But, come to think, no one knew Itachi was involved with Sakura either.

Fugaku put his cup down after taking a sip. "The clan found him a suitable candidate."

Ah, so that's what happened. Itachi mentally grimaced. Shisui must not be very happy with the situation.

"I'll make sure to stop by later to present my congratulations," he informed shortly. His father nodded. Not resisting the curiosity, Itachi asked. "So, who is the woman to be his wife?"

"Azuki Yuuhi," Fugaku said simply.

Itachi was familiar with the name. Yuuhi was one of the small shinobi clans in Konoha, nowhere near as powerful as Uchiha or Hyuuga, but influential enough to make a good match. And Azuki Yuuhi was a skilled jounin, just about the same age as Shisui. She was a traditional beauty, like most women in her clan. His cousin couldn't complain about that. She was also intelligent, level headed and had an irrefutable reputation. In other words, she was the ideal candidate under the elder's eyes.

Itachi couldn't help but think about Sakura. Despite being very young, the girl was very talented, showing great skills in the medic field. It was no secret since the Hokage kept boasting about her apprentice's skills since the girl made tokubetsu jounin ass medic – and moving to become a full fledge jounin soon. But that's where her qualities as an eligible Uchiha bride would end. Sakura was a first generation shinobi, coming from a civilian family. Her now deceased parents were not particularly wealthy or had any political influence, she had no living blood relatives whatsoever. And her brazen attitude made quite the reputation for herself – a perfect fit in the one of the most dysfunctional team in Konoha. A team that stole Sasuke from a bright future in the clan's eyes.

The clan elders had taken a dislike to her and the rest of team 7 since the episode concerning Sasuke. His younger brother was to join ANBU years ago, but never even applied for the tests, choosing to remain with his team. A wise decision, in Itachi's opinion – Sasuke had been too young. But the clan claimed his teammates were holding him back. In an act of defiance, Sasuke dismissed their opinion and stood by his team. The elders, predictably demanded Hokage's interference. Tsunade denied their request, claiming there were no grounds to dissolve team 7. In the end all they saw a biased decision, with Sakura being her pupil and all.

"Itachi," Fugaku's voice pulled him out of his wanderings. "You realize you're next in line to marry."

Hn, so this was the intention of this conversation. "I didn't realize there was a list, Chichi-ue," the younger man mocked.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. The clan has certain expectations from his prominent members, I'm just reminding you to be aware of your choices… or lack of."

He caught the meaning. Itachi was to either choose an eligible candidate, or one would be chosen for him soon.

Well, he had already found the one. Only problem was that his clan would probably disagree with his choice - a problem for them, not for him. Sakura would be his wife despite anyone's protests, he had already decided that.

"You know," he heard a casual tone in his father's voice, "I had chosen another woman to marry before I met your mother." The sudden change of subject surprised Itachi. Not the fact itself, but that his father decided to share such a personal information with him. "I was very young, and believed to be in love with that woman." Strangely, he never thought his father capable of love, at least not the romantic type.

Fugaku looked him in the eyes. "Itachi, when we are young we might have misconceptions concerning love. Lust and passion are not consistent with long term commitments. What I had was a fleeting emotion from youth. Love is not given, but built through devotion and loyalty. It keeps the family and the clan strong, understand?"

Itachi nodded impassively, in an obedient gesture.

"Therefore son, if you choose to…" his father hesitate for a second,"…experiment to get it out of your system, so be it. But do not forget your obligations to the family."

If Itachi was anyone else, he would have sneezed his tea all over his father in shock. However, his reaction limited to a sideways glance. He was frowning inwardly at Fugaku's meaning. He sounded like he knew something.

Could he have found out about Sakura?

He studied the older man sipping his tea. He might not know about Sakura specifically, but he sure knew Itachi was seeing someone – someone he would not approve of. He sat there weighting his options and decided not to take the bait. There was no point in confronting Fugaku now, nothing to gain. If there was something Itachi could pride himself of, it was knowing to pick his battles.

"Aa," he simply nodded at his father.

After that the two men shared the rest of their meal in silence.

**- 000000 -**

**Present day...**

Sakura kept staring at the ring he placed in front of her. This was probably the longer he ever knew her to keep quiet. He could read a myriad of feelings passing through her eyes – surprise, disbelief, confusion, sadness – none of them pleased him. He watched her close her eyes with the most hurtful expression he ever saw on her face. She must've understood what this ring meant by now.

She bowed her head slightly to hide her face, however the moisture gathering under her eyelashes gave her away.

"Our timing really sucks," she whispered trying to control the emotion in her voice.

"Aa," Itachi couldn't argue with that.

Not in a million years she would think that he meant to propose to her all those years ago. They had been dating for an entire year without anyone knowing. She knew Itachi cared for her. It was obvious in the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, the way he talked to her. Some nights, when she closed her eyes, she could still hear his sweet whispers on her ear, feel the tip of his nose brushing against the back of her neck, the trail of kisses he left on her shoulder.

But caring and loving were two different things. And the sneaking around was a constant reminder that they were doing something forbidden. At some point she wondered if that's why he came to her. To taste freedom, have the thrill of doing something his clan would never allow, a veiled defiance.

And when the thrill was gone, when the sneaking became too much of a trouble or when his duties called upon him, he would be gone. And she would be left heartbroken.

A thousand times she warned herself to watch her steps. She made herself believe they could work things out, be together somehow. But deep down, she knew they were just biding them time. Looking down at this ring, she understood now.

She had been the one lacking faith.

"I'm sorry," it was all she could say.

She was fighting a lost battle with her tears. A thick one escaped her, landing loudly like a heavy drop on the table surface.

She felt a finger under her chin and widened her eyes in surprise. Itachi was standing next to her chair. She never noticed when he left the seat across from her. He raised her face to him and brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping some of the moisture away.

He was towering her now, however his presence was anything but menacing. "No, Sakura. I'm the one who's sorry. I wasn't clear with my intentions in the past. I'm sorry if I made you believe that what we had was flimsy." His hand left her cheek, running down her arm. She could feel the moisture of her own tears in his touch. When he reached her hand he raised it while taking the ring from the small box. She frowned at his actions.

When he kneeled by the table her eyes were wide.

"Sakura," his eyes were burning into hers, "I'd like to try this again if you let me." He pushed the ring on her finger. "Will you marry me?"

Her eyes darted from his to their adjoined hands, practically bulging out of her head.

He waited for her predictable reaction.

"…"

"Are you crazy?"

There you go.

**- 000000 -**

Itachi watched as she kept pacing the living room nervously. He limited himself to stand by the table waiting for her to calm down, or at least for some coherency. He couldn't make sense out of her mumbling only hearing words random words. By then, concern for Kazuki's waking up seemed long forgotten.

She stopped abruptly in front of him with a questioning look. "So?"

'_Was there a question somewhere in her mumbling?_' He raised an eyebrow.

"Akina! Your fiancée. You do remember you are already engaged, right?"

Itachi was surprised she heard about that. It hadn't been widely know even among clan members. How could she have known…

'_Sasuke. Of course.'_

She might not be a member of team 7 anymore, but she kept pretty thigh bonds with them. His younger brother sure shared this piece of information with his teammates. Itachi could imagine she felt hurt by the news, even a little betrayed if she was anything like him. Trust Sasuke to spread the word with total disregard of the consequences. But he couldn't blame his brother for what he didn't know. He could however blame him for giving incomplete information. And now he had to explain the situation to Sakura.

"I'm not engaged," he replied nonchalantly. "The clan simply offered me a choice of bride."

"And you refused?" she asked keenly.

Before a moment of hesitation, he replied honestly, "not yet."

She sighed, taking a long breath, calming down from her tantrum. "Maybe you shouldn't." She kept her back to him. "Akina is… perfect. She's perfect to marry into your clan," Sakura admitted bitterly.

"Then she can marry some Uchiha who's not taken," Itachi replied seriously.

"Itachi, I…"

He didn't let her continue. "Sakura, I've told you. Enough with the martyr routine." She felt him approach her. "I want you. There's only one important question here." He placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around. A finger under her chin forced her eyes up. "For once be honest with yourself. What do _you_ want?" His eyes were unwavering.

She held his stare with a deep frown, and then looked down despite the finger supporting her chin. After a long moment studying the collar of his shirt she looked at him with resigned eyes.

"I want you."

That was all he needed to know. Without fear or hesitation, he touched his lips to hers.

* * *

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	4. Mixed feelings

**Thanks to all reviewers!**

**Answering theonesakura's question: I cannot give away the plot now, can I? Read and find out. Then you can tell me what you thought of the plot latter. I´ll be very happy.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter...**

**dai86**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Mixed signs**

* * *

**Five years ago...**

"Haruno-san." Sakura looked up from the experiment scrolls lying across the lab counter to see who was calling her.

"Yes?"

She saw one of the attendants' head pocking behind the semi opened door. "There´s someone for you at the front desk."

Oh. "Do you know who it is?"

The woman shook her head negatively. "No, the nurse didn´t say. She just said it was a young blond man."

Jin? He never asked for her in the hospital. Usually he would just wait for her at the entrance. Maybe something happened.

Looking down at her scrolls she contemplated her options for a moment. She had to wait another 30 minutes before the antigens reacted with the poison.

"Kanie-san," she addressed the man at the counter behind her. He raised his head to acknowledge her.

"Could you do me a favor? I have to go upstairs for a moment. Would you watch over this experiment for me?" she asked.

He nodded impassively and went back to his own business. The older man was not very vocal, but he was polite and reliable in the lab.

"Thanks. I´ll be right back." Sakura jumped from her stool, hanging her lab coat by the door before leaving the room.

She wondered what Jin could want with her. It was mid afternoon and she had already eaten lunch with Sasaki. Maybe he just wanted to hang out? Having all that free time ought to be boring sometimes…

But no. Jin knew she was busy at work and had always respected that. Usually he would just wait for her at the entrance.

Sakura smiled to herself. Jin was a very persistent man. He made his intentions clear right after they met. The next day after Sasaki introduced her to Kouga and Jin, he appeared in the hospital entrance on lunch time inviting her for a meal, holding a small vase of white cosmos.

Sakura was surprised to find he remembered her saying it was her favorite flower. Cosmos were easily grown under hot and dry weather, explaining their abundance in Suna, but this particular variety – white – was very rare in this part of the desert.

"I have my ways," he shrugged with a smile when she questioned him.

She smiled despite herself.

She´d be lying if she told he hadn´t had an effect on her. But Sakura was on a relationship, or whatever it was she had with Itachi. Besides, she was on a mission away from home, and Jin was a civilian from some village she didn´t even know; even if she was unattached, nothing would happen. She wasn´t the type to fool around just for the hell of it.

If she was Ino, perhaps…

More than once her blonde friend had accused her of being too uptight for her own good. What Ino called uptight, Sakura called cautious. She had her heart trampled one too many times as a kid. And even if she could Sasuke as a friend nowadays, the damage was still there, obvious in the way she interacted with the male specie in general.

She still wasn´t quite sure how she ended up with Itachi of all people. He reminded her very much of a cat, and like all cats he moved at his own pace, liked his own space, and act independently. Sakura did not know how someone like her, filled with trust issues regarding love, settled down with him. But above all Itachi was trustworthy, and somehow, despite all the sneaking around, he made her feel safe. More or less, anyway. But she blamed her own insecure heart on that.

She sighed thinking about him. The high anxiety she felt from missing Itachi on the first days dimmed to a dull pain in the back of her mind. It was constantly there but it didn´t distract her so much anymore.

But when facing Jin´s invitations and flowers, the thought of Itachi came rushing to very front of her mind. The same way Jin was being upfront with her, she hoped to return the courtesy by explaining she wasn´t interested in any romantic relationships at the moment. The young man smiled at her. "I´ll take what I can get," he shrugged, "even if it´s only your company over lunch."

His intense gaze betrayed the casual posture, and at that moment Sakura felt her skin burn. She was probably red as a tomato. Bashfully, she complied with his invitation for lunch that day… and the next day… and the day after that. Pretty soon they were having lunch on a regular basis.

He would always bring her white cosmos. She wondered where he got those.

Sakura was pleased with their interactions. Jin never tried to cross any line she had set, always respecting her wishes. After a while he really felt like a close friend.

But sometimes she felt like she was leading him on, like Jin expected something from her, even after her warning. Having spent her pre-teen years pinning over Sasuke, Sakura could sympathize. She didn´t wish unrequited love upon anybody. Much less someone she cared about.

The second time she voiced her concerns he replied smoothly. "I told you. I´ll take whatever you´re willing to give me," he would assure her. Well, she´d give him her friendship and nothing more. Jin accepted and smiled.

As long as they were clear…

Hanging out with other people – Jin included – distracted her from the longing she felt, and any melancholic thoughts were pushed aside. She just didn´t know why part of her felt guilty in enjoying his company; it was not like she was doing anything wrong. She had dismissed other male´s advances in the hospital and kept on interacting with them without problems. So how was Jin different?

When she first came to Suna, all her thoughts were filled with Itachi during her lonely nights in her apartment. Now she´d would often catch herself thinking about Jin – some story he had told her, some joke that had made her laugh – and realizing she was smiling to herself.

This was not a good sign.

She shook herself and pushed away those thoughts as she reached the front desk on the hospital lobby. Standing on the linoleum floor she searched around her. '_Now, where was this guy...?'_

She yelped when she felt strong arms around her waist lifting her off the ground. When she was put back down she span on her heels to face her attacker. Sakura found familiar blue eyes and blond hair. And the most blinding smile she knew.

"Naruto!" she threw her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Sakura-chan! I missed you!" The blond replied spinning her in the air.

They spent a good half an hour fussing over each other. Apparently Naruto had to deliver some package to Suna. It was a C-ranked mission at best, but he jumped at the chance to meet his teammate. They talked animatedly until Sakura remembered her experiment.

"Shoot! I have to go back." She snapped. They could only meet so briefly.

"Let´s grab dinner later," he offered.

"Don´t you have to go back?" she asked surprised.

"Nah," Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Baa-chan won´t fuss over half a day that I stay over."

She laughed wondering if that was true. Nonetheless, it made her very happy to have her best friend here. She gave him her keys and directions to her apartment, instructing him to make himself at home. She would be back later with groceries for a homemade meal.

**- 00000 –**

The duo watched her leave the market carrying grocery bags. The pink haired girl seemed to be in a good humor.

"Should we approach?" Jin inquired his sempai.

"No," Kouga replied, "let´s wait until Uzumaki leaves Suna. Better play safe. Did you plant the bugs at her place?"

Jin nodded.

"Good. Let´s just keep surveillance tonight."

Sakura hummed walking down the street, unaware of two pair of eyes following her.

**- 00000 –**

"God! I think I´m gonna die!" Sakura lied on her back on the tatami floor, patting her belly.

"Yeah, me too," Naruto didn´t seem to be any better lying next to her.

She had cooked enough for four people, calculating that since Naruto had just arrived from a trip from Konoha, he should probably be starving. And a starved Naruto could eat for a whole team.

But she could be accused of overeating as well. And after that pie for desert… well, they would explode any second now.

They were lying on the floor with the balcony doors wide open, enjoying the night breeze. Sakura pushed aside her plate with a piece of half eaten pie. "I can´t even look at it anymore."

Naruto raised his eyebrows, looking with interest at the plate. "Well, I think I can manage…" he said as he reached for the plate, intend on finishing her share too. Sakura laughed, a little shocked that he could still eat.

She pushed a cushion under her head and closed her eyes, felling the night breeze and listening to the sounds of his fork scrapping against the plate. Her hand kept running circles over her abused stomach.

"Now I´m ready to die," she heard him say after finishing her pie.

"I don´t know how you eat so much. I swear to God I´ll have to do groceries tomorrow again," she laughed.

"Want some help?" he asked, rolling on his back too.

She glanced sideways at him, "don´t you have to go back tomorrow morning?"

"I could stick around for a while," he said.

"Naruto…" she said in a you-know-better tone.

"I mean it!" he said with a hint of child excitement. "Oh, I know, I know!" he sounded like he had a brilliant idea, the kind that always resulted in a headache for her. "I could write Baa-chan and tell her you need a bodyguard here." He continued excitedly. "In the meantime I could run some errands to Gaara and – "he was cut short by a cushion smacked in his face.

"Ow, Sakura-chan," he complained.

"Idiot," she mumbled. "I do not need a bodyguard."

"I know that. It was just an excuse." He rubbed his nose.

She looked at him and smiled. "I miss you too Naruto. But this mission will be over soon and then I´ll be back in Konoha to my favorite group of idiots." She placed a reassuring hand over his chest.

He looked a little offended but smiled nonetheless. "Don´t you get lonely here, Sakura-chan?"

She paused. "A little, yeah," she confessed. "But this is a mission. I spend most of my time working in the lab. Besides, I made some friends here as well."

"Male friends?" he asked with displeased interest.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "All kinds of friends, Naruto. Geez, I don´t know why you guys think I´m being constantly harassed by men."

"Because you are!" he messed his own hair to emphasize his distress. "If you knew all the trouble I and Sasuke go through." Naruto sounded indignant that Sakura couldn´t appreciate their efforts.

Sakura laughed. Trust Naruto to exaggerate. Watching Sasuke acting like the jealous teammate was something she´d be willing to pay for.

"Chill Naruto. No one´s harassing me here." For a second, an image of Jin ran through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

"I just don´t want you to be lonely here, Sakura-chan," he whined.

Sakura sighed. "I´m a little lonely sometimes, yes," she admitted, "but I like my work. You know, this is a very important mission for me too. I´m really happy Tsunade-shishou trusted me to do this," she explained. "Besides, I´m not miserable here. Suna has its appeal."

She heard him snort. "Yeah? Like what? Sand and dry weather?"

She turned her head and looked in his eyes for a second. Naruto instantly blushed self-consciously. He wasn´t used to her focusing so intently on him. "Uhn…," he tried to cut the silence.

Sakura rose to her feet walking to the door. 'What? Did he offend her somehow?'

He was ready to blurt an apology for whatever he´d done when he saw the lights go off. Sakura had gone for the switch by the door. She came back to pick her cushion from the floor and offered him her hand. "Come here," she asked.

Confused, he hesitated for a moment but eventually took her hand and got up. She picked another cushion from the sofa and dropped them both by the balcony door. She laid there patting the space next to her. Naruto cocked his head blushing a little, but acquiesced. They were both laying on their backs in the dark, a soft breeze running over them. What was she doing?

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto started confused.

"Look," she pointed to the sky.

His eyes left her face to look up. His breath caught.

It was the most beautiful night sky he had ever seen.

"Isn´t it beautiful?" she asked. "I´ve been told that the desert gives you a better view of the stars. Something about the altitude here and the dry weather…"

"Yeah," he replied in awe.

"I used to think Konoha had a beautiful night sky, but in Suna the stars seem to shine more brightly." She continued looking up.

Indeed, it looked like a million bright dots in a black canvas.

"Funny, hn?" she said. "Those are the same stars that shine over Konoha. Yet they seem so much brighter here. When I´m alone at night I look up the stars and imagine that you guys are looking up the same sky. And then I don´t feel so lonely anymore."

Naruto turned his head to look at her. He could barely see in the dark, but her face seemed to reflect the glow of the stars; she had a fascinated expression and a gentle smile on.

She looked beautiful.

He didn´t know what came over him at the moment. It happened before he could even acknowledge what he was doing. Suddenly he was leaning forward on his elbows and his lips were lightly pressed against hers.

They were soft and moist like he had imagined. And they tasted like pecan pie.

He enjoyed it, could stay forever suspended in that moment. Somehow his hand was cradling the side of her head, his thumb against her cheekbone, and his fingers teasing the hairline in the back of her neck.

Everything felt right, until he realized her hand was pushing lightly against his chest. "Na-Naruto…" she stammered against his lips, breaking the spell.

He backed off a little looking as shocked as her. "I-I…" he tried to explain, with little success.

Before he could muster anything she sat down, smothering her hair self consciously.

She averted her eyes looking utterly embarrassed and for a long moment all they could hear was the tick tack of the clock in the wall while they sat there in the dark.

He fought to think of anything to say in that situation, anything at all. Anything. _'Say something dammit!'_

"I love you."

'You should've kept quiet moron', he smacked himself mentally.

Another long moment of silence and his heart was thumping hard in his ribcage. She would kill him any second now.

He almost coiled when Sakura rose to her feet, believing she would stomp him like an enraged bull. But the pink haired girl only stood there playing with her fingers self consciously. He couldn´t make out her expression in the dark.

"We better sleep Naruto, we have an early day tomorrow. You have to leave and I have to work." She mumbled.

He raised his eyebrows. Was that all she was gonna do? Had he just dreamed he kissed her and declared himself to her? Maybe he didn´t really say it out loud. Maybe –

He suddenly was aware that she had left for her room when he heard the soft click of a door closing. Naruto was left alone staring at her balcony filled with white cosmos.

**- 00000 –**

"Looks like you have competition," Kouga sneered next to Jin, who threw a dirty look at his sempai.

They had been listening in the couple's conversation the entire night from the rooftop across the street. So far, no mention of one Uchiha Itachi. From what they could assess, her teammates weren´t aware of her little affair with the ANBU captain. It seems no one knew. Except for Danzou-sama…

Jin wondered how long the medic had been sneaking around to meet the Uchiha. To keep a secret relationship in a ninja village was not an easy task. Their informant had said a couple of weeks at least, but he could tell it had been longer… much longer.

He had been pulled out of his thoughts when the lights went off in the apartment across the street. Jin had looked down on the balcony to see Sakura and the brat lying on the floor, watching the sky. Altogether, it had seemed like a pretty innocent situation.

That is, until the blond boy decided to lean over and kiss her.

Despite himself, Jin scowled. For some reason, the sight displeased him greatly. But a Root agent was above any display of emotion. He limited himself to fist his hands. His sempai of course took notice of this little reaction, proceeding to taunt him.

Sometimes he wondered if Kouga only liked to tease him for the hell of it, or if he was assessing him to put down on his reports. Probably the latter.

Not being the typical ANBU agent, Jin was prone to be constantly analyzed by his colleagues and superiors, more so than others recruits. Well, screw them. Just because he didn´t act like a stoic ass, didn´t mean he couldn´t do the job just the same… better even.

Regardless of his personality Danzou-sama had sought him out, seeking to recruit him. And Jin promptly accepted feeling somewhat flattered by the recognition of his skills. Root, he came to realize, was as specialized as ANBU, if not more. It was an honor to be chosen to be part of it.

Like Danzou, Jin didn´t comply with the present Hokage´s weak nature, as he would call. Diplomacy was such a disgusting concept. Konoha should cast their military superiority through an iron fist, not peace treaties. Jin had lost his mother during the Kyuubi attack. And then, a close friend when Suna invaded Konoha years ago. He couldn´t understand how quickly an alliance with this village worked out afterwards. _'Exterminate the enemy while they are at the weakest'_ was his logic.

So, when Danzou approached him, he was more than happy to accept the offer. The man shared the same ideals and Jin saw the opportunity to contribute with his village for real. Danzou would be the one to bring Konoha to its rightful place, where no enemy would dare to raise a hand against them out of fear.

He wasn´t concerned about Danzou – the leader of Root knew where Jin's loyalties lay. This constant mistrust however was a little annoying. He didn´t bother to acknowledge Kouga´s taunts, keeping focus on the balcony below. He was more than pleased to see the pink haired girl push the cheeky brat away. Apparently his advances weren´t welcome.

They watched her tell him something and leave for her bedroom, which didn´t have a window facing this side of the building. It seems their surveillance was done for tonight.

Kouga threw one last taunt. "She sure likes playing-hard-to-get, doesn´t she?"

Jin didn't bother to reply.

**- 00000 –**

**Present day...**

The world is spinning around her, but she doesn´t care. She enjoys the feel of his lips on her own. Sakura can remember clearly the last time they kissed – it was the night before she left for her mission in Suna. That fateful mission.

She feels his tongue lick her lower lip asking from entrance and complies. His intensity dizzies her and it´s only his hands cradling her waist and neck that keeps her from swaying. They part for a second to breath, only for him to deepen the kiss in the next second, pulling their bodies flushed against each other. Heat pooled in her belly and she couldn´t hold back a moan.

It was all so foreign and so familiar at the same time – his touch, his warmth, his taste.

In their heated interaction, they move a little to the side, bumping slightly on the chair, making it scrap against the tiled floor. At the disruptive sound she instinctively remembers Kazuki.

Kazuki, sleeping in the bedroom a few feet behind her.

Suddenly reality hits and she remembers their current situation. She has a son sleeping in the next room. Itachi is a clan heir who´s engaged – or about to be. And they´re making out in her living room like a couple of horny teenagers.

She´s reminded of the past, when they would sneak around to be with each other, because they really shouldn´t be doing that. Only now the stakes were much higher.

He feels her hesitation and stills against her. She takes the opportunity to step back, finding it hard to drag herself away. Her breathing is labored and she´s a little flushed. Nonetheless her words are firm.

"We shouldn´t have done this."

She looks him in the eyes, and, despite his composure, she can see he's troubled. "What´s wrong, Sakura?"

"We can´t keep playing games!" she snapped. "You have to think about Akina-san, and your clan. And I have to think about Kazuki. He is my priority now. He will always be."

He assessed her for a second.

"I wouldn´t question that. I´m just asking that you let him be my priority too," he said simply. "Both of you."

She gaped at him. "Nonsense… Itachi, you… you´re not seeing this through."

"Are you questioning my intelligence or my resolve?" he asked.

Itachi knew this wasn´t gonna be easy, this girl was nothing but stubborn. He would have to corner her with every possible argument and tire her out of excuses. While he could convince her that the Uchiha clan – or Akina for that matter – wasn´t gonna be a problem, the real issue to her was little Kazuki.

"Now that Kazuki manifested his abilities, you might have problems," he saw her frown at the change of subject. "I wish to help you."

Sakura knew perfectly well what problems he was talking about.

"They have already approached me," she sighed. "I have a meeting schedule in a couple of days. They said they just have some… questions."

'Hn, so they already made their move.'

"Don´t worry," she continued. "I already talked with Tsunade-sama. She´ll back me out. I´ll be fine," she assured him. "I have it covered, Itachi. You don´t need to get involved. Actually, I think it's best if you don't."

She was refusing his help for the sake of appearances and honor. His, not hers. As far as people's opinion went, her honor had gone down the drain years ago. It angered him to remember her being targeted by vicious comments.

The girl he met years ago wouldn´t take that tamely. She would get in the face of whoever badmouthed her or any of her friends. Or deal with this people in a more vicious way. But after Kazuki, things changed. Despite walking around with her head up, Itachi knew she was hiding within herself. He didn´t like it, but could understand where this feelings sprout from.

It wasn´t shame she felt, he realized later, it was guilty. Misplaced guilty.

And after years of guilty, and being the target of the village´s gossip, Sakura had developed a though skin. If Itachi wanted to get through the shell she had built around herself, he´d have to take a leap of faith.

"Won´t you let me in anymore?" he asked with a disconcerting openness.

Sakura was taken aback, not only by his words, but by his tone and expression. It was the most vulnerable she had ever seen her. Itachi was never one to put himself in this position. To nobody.

He held her shoulders, leaving no space for her to run. "You felt guilty. You wanted to punish yourself and ended up punishing me along by breaking us apart," he said.

Sakura had the urge to turn away and run. She had been a fool, she wasn´t ready for a confrontation with him. But the firm hold oh her shoulders prevented any movement. All she could do was avert her eyes.

"You don´t have to feel guilty about anything," he continued. "It was not your fault. Not many could resist that kind of mind manipulation, especially when not aware that you are facing a kekkei genkai."

She frowned. "What? What was Itachi talking about?"

"And he had months to surround and influence you in Suna."

Her eyes widened when she understood what he meant. Itachi thought she had cheated on him with Jin.

He thought she had slept with him.

* * *

**Please, leave your thoughts and opinions! I like to hear them to change directions in the plot if necessary.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**dai86**

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	5. Misleading

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**This is a long chapter. Not so much ItaSaku yet, but be patient.**

**Please don't hate me for bringing them trouble. Remember what I said about the sweet and the sour... ;)**

**dai86.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Misleading**

* * *

**Five years ago...**

The girl was lying on her back, breathing evenly. She seemed to be sleeping, but his shinobi senses were well aware that she was barely napping. Relaxed but alert. She was a shinobi too, after all.

Lying sideways on his elbow, Jin took his time to appreciate the view in front of him.

The clothes she usually wore didn't do her any justice. Sakura was barely out of teens, but it was easy to spot the feminine curves developing. Her breasts were small but perky, perfectly proportional with her narrow waist and slightly wide hips. She had one of her legs bent, outlining the curves of her thigh and calf. His eyes ran a sinuous path over her body out of their own volition.

When faced with the prospect of a scantily clad Sakura, Jin had imagined all kinds of lewd sexy images. But looking at her now, she didn't look sexy.

She looked beautiful.

Dragging his eyes over smooth skin, he settled on her face, studying her features. She wasn't traditionally beautiful, he thought; but there was something exotic about her looks.

He caught himself gazing at her plum lips, wondering if they would feel as soft as they look.

A scream shook him out of his reverie.

Sakura snapped her eyes open. Both her and Jin turned to the couple in the water. Sasaki and Kouga were splashing around like children, laughing at their own clumsiness.

The four of them had taken the day to check one of the oases Sasaki kept talking about. So, after days of begging, Sakura had finally gave in and left the lab for a day to hike in the desert towards this oasis. She wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, this place was wonderful.

After an hour walking in the desert, they thought Sasaki might have been lost. Everywhere they looked all they could see was sand. It seemed to stretch on forever in every direction. But they soon spot a small dot on the horizon. A while later they reached it.

The sand gave place to a rocky ground. At first they were faced with what seemed to be the beginning of a small forest. As they approached, running water could be heard among the trees. Walking through the greenery, they followed the sound. Shortly the trees opened to a clearing, revealing a small waterfall feeding a lake twenty feet below. Sakura was amazed.

They walked around the edges of the clearing to reach the other side, where the rocky slope gave place to a flat slab running into the water.

The group proceeded to dive in the cool water to refresh, washing away the desert sand and sweat. Nothing ever felt so good. The water was so clear that they could see the bottom of the lake even on its deep side.

It wasn't long before Sasaki asked Sakura for a water walking demonstration. Living in Suna, the young nurse was familiar with the many shinobi skills, but never had the chance to fully understand how it was done.

Sakura had patiently explained about chakra and many things genin kids learn early on. Then, to demonstrate, she walked to the middle of the lake and back over the water. Her three companions seemed impressed. She supposed this must be somewhat fascinating to civilians.

After that, they decided to try it out. Hence the couple currently splashing around in the lake.

"Do you think they can learn to do that?" she heard amusement in Jin's voice.

"Eventually… If they take it seriously, maybe in a couple of years," she smirked to him.

The man lying beside her laughed. Sometimes, Jin was amazed at his own interpretation skills. He laid there listening to her talk about chakra like it was such a foreign concept for him, playing the part of the fascinated civilian guy.

"It takes years to learn to draw chakra, to control it, and then finally manipulate it. Besides, it's a skill better learned when we are children," she explained. "There are very few people who learn to manipulate chakra as an adult; and they will never do it very well."

Sakura looked at the man listening intently to her words. He was always so focused on her – what she said, where she looked, how she moved. It was very disconcerting, if not a little flattering.

Of course she had felt him ogling her earlier as she basked in the sun. Her shinobi instincts would always alert to prying eyes. Besides, Jin wasn't being subtle at all, not even for a civilian. But she chose not to acknowledge his stares; better to pretend being oblivious in such situations. Acknowledging his obvious interest would be inviting a whole world of trouble.

Feeling that any second longer the silence would become awkward, Sakura was compelled to speak. "This was a great idea. I loved this place, it's so beautiful!"

"Yeah," Jin agreed, "we don't have places like this back home."

They have spoken about their home, Sakura remembered. It was a village in Fire Country, further to the east, in a region she had never visited. From what Kouga and Jin told her, the landscape wasn't much different from Konoha's region. She imagined life wouldn't be much different there either.

"You guys aren't homesick yet?" she asked.

"Nah," Jin waved dismissively, "we are enjoying this nomad lifestyle."

"Well, I'm quite fond of traveling too, but I guess I need an anchor point. Somewhere to go back to when I'm tired," she said looking in the distance. "Besides, I couldn't possibly carry everything I need in a pack," she chuckled.

"People get used to anything when they want, Saku-chan."

After they constant interaction, they acquired some familiarity. So, she really didn't mind the way he addressed her. It was quite endearing actually. She only hated it when he called her 'momo-chan'. It sounded so childish. Jin had given her this nickname because of her pink tresses, he said, laughing at how she grimaced at the sound of it. He forfeited its use, saving it only for when he intended to mock her.

Jin watched her smile at him, automatically smiling back. There were moments when he wasn't sure whether he was pretending or not. He was constantly transitioning between himself and this civilian persona, thinking of the mission's goal and playing the part of the civilian boy in love.

It wasn't his first undercover mission. He had done this before. But whenever he played a part, he always kept his emotions at bay. But now…

He didn't love this girl. No, that was too much of a strong word, one that Jin wasn't familiar with. But he was drawn to her nonetheless. _Strongly drawn_. He knew where his loyalties laid though. In the end he would do what the mission requires. However, this feeling nagged him at times, making him feel conflicted.

She turned around after hearing another splash coming from the couple. Jin watched her shoulder bobbing with laughter, wet tresses brushing it lightly. She had gotten a somewhat golden tan from Wind Country, despite spending most of her days holed up in that lab.

He imagined what her skin would taste like.

He shook himself inwardly. All these distractions were making him loose focus on the mission. Damn hormones. But it took more than a cute girl to deter him from his duties. Drawing the plan back to mind, he calculated that now would be a good moment to plant doubts on her mind.

Decided on throwing the bait, he sat up. "Anyway, I guess you're right. I like to have a place to go back to ever once in a while, too. Somewhere I could eventually settle down with a family of my own, maybe."

She assessed him for a moment. Jin could almost see the question forming in her mind.

"Have you ever considered starting a family?" she asked casually.

'_Hook, line, sinker.'_

"Once," he shrugged.

Sakura turned her body slightly towards him, sounding interested. "Really?"

"Yeah," he looked at nowhere specifically, "I had a girlfriend a couple of years ago."

"So, what happened?"

"The thing is nobody knew we were seeing each other." He watched the subtle raise of her brow.

"My mother worked for her family when I was a kid. We kind of grew up together. Long story short, when my parents started a business, we moved to the village nearby. We missed each other's company and started meeting. That's when we got involved."

Sakura kept on listening quietly.

"Miho's family was very rich and traditional. They would likely reject a man like me for their daughter," he saw her throw him a sympathetic look.

"But since she had an older brother and sisters to keep lineage, I had hoped I could convince her parents to allow our marriage. They were nice people and quite fond of me when I lived there with my parents, after all."

"Let me guess," Sakura interrupted, "they didn't agree."

"I never got to talk to them," he said. At her confused expression he explained, "Miho didn't let me."

Jin put on his best sad smile. "When I told her what I intended to do, she threw a tantrum, talking about reputation and egocentricity - her reputation and my egocentricity," he explained. "Apparently, her parents weren't the ones who thought I was beneath her."

Despite his sad eyes, he was smug inside. The expression on Sakura's face telling him she had bought his story.

"Don't get it wrong. She did love me, I'm sure of it. But she would never marry me. Her up bring wouldn't allow her to seriously consider marrying someone like me."

"And then what did you do?" she asked with a gloomy frown.

"I left her. Last I heard she got married to a rich nobleman up north, older than her father. People said she didn't look happy about it. I didn't want to be petty, but I have to admit part of me was glad to hear she wasn't much happier than me," he paused, "but mostly I was sad because I knew she loved me as much as I loved her. She just didn't have the guts to overcome her family's traditions, social appearances and all that crap."

Sakura had heard his story holding a sad frown the whole time. Jin's story rang a bell in her mind, making her think of herself and Itachi. Sakura too knew Itachi cared about her, but… to what point? They've been sneaking around for months because of his position as heir. Would she be such a distasteful candidate in the eyes of his clan?

But Sakura already knew the answer. Having Sasuke for teammate for years had given her a taste of the Uchiha clan's workings.

But the main point was not the clan. They were bastards, she was aware of that, and they always would be. What concerned her was Itachi's position. Did he think she was not worth of him? Not only beneath his clan's standards, but his own? It hurt to think that, especially after hearing Jin's story, seeing as it could very well be true.

She felt prickles in the corner of her eyes.

"Don't," she heard him say. His hand reached for her face and she held a breath. "Don't be sad, Saku," his thumb wiped a tear she didn't realized escaped. "It was a long time ago. It's just a sad memory now."

Sakura felt bad. She wasn't really crying for him, she was crying for herself. Deep down, she feared that one day Itachi would only be a sad memory for her, too.

She didn't want do dwell on that now. Pushing this depressive thoughts aside she squeezed lightly the hand on her face, "okay," she said in a small voice. The boy smile, his hand lingered a moment longer on her cheek before he withdrew it.

Shaking herself and putting on a new spirit she suggested animatedly, "let's eat!"

He nodded and rose to his feet, "I'll call those two."

**- 0000 -**

The group kept a steady pace towards Suna on their way back from the oasis. The visit to that little piece of paradise had been totally worth the trip. Didn't mean they liked the idea of having to walk back again under the sun, though.

The harsh heat, however, didn't deter Jin from chatting amicably with Sakura. They came all the way from the oasis talking about little nothings, every now and then falling into a comfortable silence.

The fake civilian looked back to the couple lagging behind them. Sakura probably thought they were enjoying each other's company. Jin knew his sempai most likely was giving him opportunity to spend as much time with the pink haired kunoichi as possible, 'building trust'.

He looked sideways at her, examining her pink tresses pulled in a high ponytail, and a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Is that really your natural hair?"

The girl cocked her head at the sudden question. "What?"

"Your hair. Is it really naturally pink?"

Understanding his question she giggled. "I get that a lot. And yes, I was born with pink hair. One hundred percent natural."

"How come?"

Repeating an explanation she'd given countless times she simply said, "my father was blond, and my mother was red haired. Guess the result could only be pink, right?"

"It's quite unique." He smiled pushing a loose strand behind her ear.

By now Sakura was pretty used with these displays of affection. After all, Jin was nothing but affectionate. He used to pat children on the head, even young girls like herself or Sasaki; or put a hand on people's shoulder when talking to them.

Didn't make her feel any less embarrassed though. But she chose to ignore the felling and take the gesture for what it was – a friendly one.

"I hated when I was a child. I thought it was such an odd color, and the other children would always make fun of it and my large forehead," she said covering her forehead self-consciously. "But my father would always tell me it was his favorite color, and that my mom just ate too much strawberry ice cream when she was pregnant." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"Sounds like a nice man. Are you two close?"

She gave him a weak smile. "My father died when I was a kid…"

Of course Jin already knew that from her file, but he faked a guilty expression, "Oh, sorry. Did he die on duty?"

"No, my father was civilian. I'm actually the first shinobi in my family. My father just had a weak heart and left us early."

"And your mother is ok with that? You pursuing this career, I mean," he asked curious.

"She was never fond of it, but always respected my choices. Besides, shinobi status is highly respected in hidden villages, however dangerous. I guess she believed I wouldn't go beyond genin. She almost blanched when I made chuunin; and she'd would probably beg me to resign if she saw me reach jounin."

Jin cocked his head with a confused frown. Sakura explained further. "My mother passed away almost two years ago during an attack to the village."

Jin raised his eyebrows. "Sorry about that," he said apologetically.

"So am I," she said honestly.

"I heard about that attack. It was an attack from the Rain Country, right? Every civilian village in Fire was concerned with safety after that and many people feared an incoming war. Everybody expected Konoha to retaliate after that," Jin said.

"The Hokage managed to settle issues through political measures and diplomacy. We were rebuilding, taking care of the wounded, mourning…" she continued with sad eyes. "The last thing we needed was more suffering brought by war. Tsunade-sama understood that."

"And everybody accepted that? I mean, weren't you bothered by a pacific settlement after lives were lost? Weren't others bothered?" At this moment Jin was thinking about himself, about his own loss of a dear friend during the invasion by Suna; and bothered didn't even begin to describe his state of spirit in the face of a peace treaty.

Sakura words caught his attention again. "I wouldn't use the word bothered… more like irate. To be honest, I was furious. I just lost the last family I had, and I wanted retribution," Sakura said with a bitter grimace. "And I indulged in those feelings for a while, until I had to remember what was important. Until I remembered there were living people depending on me."

Jin contemplated her with a bit of silent awe. He never considered that she would harbor the same feelings he had harbored against the invading enemy. She seemed to have embraced peace so willingly.

Sakura continued. "Konoha could have retaliated, and we would probably won a war. But then more lives would be lost, and the war would have spread through each village between Rain and Leaf," she sighed. "There was no point anymore. By the time the attack ended, Rain's forces were already subdued. I did all I could do – I treated and helped the wounded. The Hokage made the best decision by settling matters politically. "

Jin snorted. "Political solutions are palliative at best if the people don't agree with their leaders. Give it time and the problems will surface twice as strong."

Sakura stared at his black eyes a bit surprised. This cold demeanor and rational argumentation made her think of another man who often argued with her about village politics. But Itachi never had this tinge of bitterness in his voice, and she couldn't understand why Jin would. This man surely never had contact with the ugly side of a war, has him?

After a moment of her silence, Jin wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake by saying something a civilian man wouldn't have said. It's just that he had been so mad about the current Hokage's position. And listening Sakura justify it, someone who lost as much as he did, if not more...

"You talk like a shinobi," she said shortly and Jin stiffened. If she figured him…

"But you're right," her words surprised him. Green eyes stare straight into his with certainty he wasn't often confronted with. "If people don't agree with their leaders, that is. But sometimes they just need time to heal the wounds, a chance to see the benefits of peace, a chance to let go of hatred and start over. The Hokage had faith in Konoha's people. And in my opinion it paid off."

Jin wasn't any more convinced by her convictions than when this conversation begun, but she made a good point – peace had been a better deal for a lot of people. Sakura was shinobi, but a pacifist at heart, a healer. He could never be like her, but he definitely liked this about her.

Suddenly Jin was reminded about what his father used to say about his late mother. 'She was a kind soul, never suited for shinobi life. But she would say she was better suited than others because she could use her skill to help others.'

Everything Jin knew of his mother came from his father's stories. The man was a tough shinobi, not prone to touchy-feely displays, but whenever he spoke of his late wife Jin could see warmth in his eyes. By the stories, he could tell his mother was a skilled kunoichi, but also a kind person. Years after she passed away people would approach him, recognizing him as Kimiko's little son. Obviously his mother was also very beloved.

Even though Jin had been too young to remember his mother before she died, he had put together an image of her in his mind through what people would tell him about her. And right now he realized Sakura fit perfectly this image – intelligent, skilled, kind and compassionate, yet strong.

Sakura felt his eyes on her and turned to him. He was contemplating something while staring at her. She wasn't sure what it was but it was troubling him somehow. She gave him her best reassuring smile. After a brief moment of surprise, Jin rewarded her with a smile of his own.

The rest of the trip was made in a comfortable silence.

**- 0000 –**

The two maids excused themselves and hastily left the guests for their meal. Itachi could presume most civilians felt intimidated by shinobi presence, but servants in a daimyo palace should be used to them. Although it was understandable considering they were shinobi from a foreign country.

He slid the door closed and gesture for Shizune to check the food. The medic moved to do as told. This precaution was standard procedure, but also, it was wise to never lower your guard, even under your host's roof, and especially not while on a mission.

He watched the other three shinobi fold scattered scrolls and maps from the table, opening space for their meal. They had gone over tomorrow's schedule for their return to Fire Country, putting together the strategy and logistic. It was a simple enough mission. The only reason it required an ANBU team and a whole team of jounin was the high profile of their client – the Fire daimyo.

Once he received this mission, Itachi was ordered to select shinobi to go along his own ANBU team. Going through his options, he requested Sakura's teammates – Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi – in addition to Shizune to fill in the position of medic in the team.

They were all well prime jounin, if not a little green when it came to Sasuke and Naruto. Hatake Kakashi was highly capable and experienced, not to mention renowned. The Fire daimyo was pleased to see him on his personal security team, in addition to one Uchiha Itachi – other prominent shinobi – and the Hokage's personal assistant as medic.

This whole mission was more about appearances than security itself. Their client wanted to arrive at the Wind daimyo's palace with an impressive entourage, and what better way to show off than bringing high profile ninja along.

Yes, Itachi had made a good selection for this mission, but he had his own agenda in mind. The people in the room not only were highly skilled shinobi, but also, they were all closely related to Sakura.

One might say Itachi was trying to suck up to her friends. Finding the notion too undignifying, Itachi rather think he was getting acquainted with the people closest to her.

Once he decided to take things seriously with Sakura, he figured he'd have to do this. The girl might have a mind of her own, but he knew things would be harder on her if Itachi didn't get along with her friends, or vice-versa.

He could imagine that the Uchiha was not team 7's favorite clan. After all the commotion caused when the elders tried to pull Sasuke from the team when they were still chuunin, one might think they had done enough to anger them.

But there were no limits to the elder's arrogance, and once Sasuke made jounin they recommended that his younger brother excused himself from missions with Naruto. They had used enough ugly words regarding his blond teammate to make Sasuke angry. No need to mention his younger brother refused promptly, appalling the elders. Up till today, Itachi was not sure how much of this episode Sasuke had shared with his team.

And there was Kakashi, too.

When Itachi was younger, he heard about Kakashi's story. From the clan's perspective, of course. 'The boy who stole the Sharingan'. They spread rumors about how Kakashi must've colluded with the medic of the team to set up Uchiha Obito and steal his Sharingan, of how he had stabbed a comrade in the back out of envy of the clan's power.

But Itachi was never one to draw hasty judgment, not even as a child. And when he learned the true facts from other shinobi, he also discovered that his clan had used all kinds of resources to get that Sharingan back. It was only the Third interference that had settled the matter.

Yes, he would have a hard time ingratiating himself with them. But he managed to win Sakura over. Her teammates couldn't be much harder, could they?

When Itachi sat at the table, he saw Naruto shooting him a strange look. The blond glanced at the trays of food, only then realizing the meal had been set for five people. He must've presume Itachi would eat with his own squad. He pretended not to see the blond grimacing as Shizune finish the check and brought the food over.

So much for ingratiating.

Itachi sat quietly while his teammates chatted amicably. He wasn't much of a talker, any behavior changes might raise suspicion. Better let it happen naturally. Intimacy was bound to happen when people spend time together.

Shizune was the first one to make an attempt at dragging him into the conversation. "Have your ANBU team eaten already, Itachi-san?"

"Aa," he nodded, "an hour ago. They'll keep on guard till tomorrow morning."

"Good to know," she replied.

Itachi noted Kakashi reading while eating, his book hiding his unclothed face. Regardless, he was participating on their conversation ever now and then. Both Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be used to their former sensei's antics. So was Shizune.

The duo of youngsters kept bantering each other during dinner. At some point Sasuke got tired of the other boy's idiocy. "Bites me how you ever got recruited to this mission," the younger Uchiha snapped.

"I'm here because I'm awesome, teme," the blond shot back through a food-filled mouth.

"Honestly aniki…" he shot an exasperate look at Itachi, as if condemning him for his choice of a team.

Kakashi's interest was picked behind the book. Sasuke intended on dragging his older brother into the discussion? Itachi wasn't famous for his nice comments and in that moment he knew this wouldn't end well to Naruto, with his saying-without-thinking nature. Usually Sakura would intervene to prevent this kind of situation, but without her here, Naruto would certainly take the bait.

And Kakashi was interested in watching the scene unfold.

For his part, Itachi remained unaffected. Sakura told him enough about her team's interactions for him to understand what Sasuke was trying to do. He looked around to notice four pairs of eyes on him, expecting some kind of reply. Well, he wanted to gain their favor for Sakura, why not butter them a little with flattery?

"Are you questioning me, Sasuke?" he replied. "I've assembled teams for this sort of missions countless times. I simply choose the best available individuals for this," he said matter-of-factly.

Naruto had a satisfied grin on his face. Sasuke was scowling, but had a conceited smirk there. Shizune seemed openly flattered. And Kakashi… well, he was watching him with suspicion, obviously picking on something. Well, Itachi hadn't really expect to such basic strategy to work on Kakashi. Nonetheless, three out of four was good enough. For now.

He watched Naruto say something like I told you so with his mouth still full while waving chopsticks towards Sasuke's face.

"Well, I'm really just filling in for Sakura here," Shizune said modestly before chewing on her fish.

"Sakura-san would be an appropriate option as well. She certainly is skilled and competent. But it seems she was unavailable," Itachi pretended to have recently been informed of this, "Besides, following the client's demand I had to select an all jounin team; and Sakura-san still holds a rank of tokubetsu jounin only."

"Oh, haven't you been informed? She just got promoted. She's a full fledge jounin now," Shizune revealed.

The four men looked surprised at her.

"Yes, Tsunade informed her just before she left for Suna. She had taken the tests and got the indication."

"No, she did not tell us!" Naruto exclaimed, sounding as surprise as Sasuke and Kakashi looked.

Apparently the girl wanted to surprise her teammates, Itachi mused. She had mentioned to him that she went through the trials. Had even asked for some tips, and he was more than happy to assist her in training. However she never mentioned having attained the rank.

"I thought she would have told you when you guys met in Suna last week," Shizune addressed Naruto.

Itachi watched the loud boy shut up immediately, blushing.

Odd.

"Yeah, dobe," Sasuke interjected, "how was she? You didn't say anything about it. You did sleep over at her place, right?"

Itachi's ears perked.

"Yeah," Naruto sounded vague, "she's fine. She keeps holed up in the lab, working. She said she'd be back soon," he managed to mumble.

Sasuke wondered where his conversional streak went to. "What you're sulking about?" Sasuke thought for a moment. "Wait… you didn't pick a fight with her there, did you?"

"No!" Naruto sounded offended, "why would I pick a fight with her?"

"Well, the usual, you were being an idiot," Sasuke said simply. Naruto glared.

"Or," Sasuke continued, "she's probably being harassed by some guy there; and you dealt with them as smoothly as you usually do," he smirked, "embarrassing her in the process and resulting in a very angry Sakura… who probably kicked your ass," the boy concluded with a smirk.

"You're the ass," Naruto murmured. Sasuke could only cock his head intrigued with such a small reaction.

Naruto sighed. "Well I did do something stupid, I think," Naruto looked like he meant to continue, but looked around self-consciously, throwing his friend a tell-you-later glance. Itachi caught on that, of course.

"The way you all keep scaring men away, Sakura-chan will die a spinster," Shizune reprehended.

"They're just looking out for their teammate, Shizune. It's quite endearing, come to think of it," Kakashi defended his former students, lowering his book. Apparently, at some point he had finish his meal and put on the mask again.

"That includes you too, Kakashi," she accused.

One could easily spot the surprised look on the sole visible eye. "Me?" he sounded indignant.

"Yes, Hatake. Don't think I didn't hear about your friendly chat with Akai and Oburi. It was all over the jounin's lounge last month."

Kakashi seemed unfazed. "Don't know what you're talking about. We were just chatting in the jounin meeting. I was just agreeing with them that Sakura had indeed become quite the alluring kunoichi," he said innocently. "Then I pointed out the fact that she is underage… and that they were a bit too old for her."

"Well, from what I heard that was not all you told them," Shizune narrowed her eyes.

He shrugged. Ok, a little bodily harm might have been mentioned, but he didn't really meant it. Not all of it, anyway. But his fellow jounin should know their limits. And lewd insinuations about his underage former student was definitely crossing the line.

"You too, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto laughed. "I swear to God, Sasuke and I have to threat a guy every other week."

"Speak for yourself, moron," Sasuke mumbled.

But it was kind of true. Lately Sakura had become some kind of pervert magnet. There were always idiots rounding her. Even though Sasuke wouldn't admit, he agreed with Naruto – they had to look out for her. Sakura might be fierce in the battlefield, but when it came to dealing with men, she was helpless.

For his part, Itachi wasn't sure he should be grateful for this overprotective behavior or concerned. He had of course noted the swarming of suitors around Sakura. Like himself, several males had taken noticed of how much little Sakura had grown, in every aspect. The only one that seemed unaware of this was Sakura herself. Somehow, this naïveté only served to add to her appeal.

Looking on the bright side, he was glad her teammates kept pushing away these suitors. Given his situation with Sakura, he could not do it himself openly. On the other hand, however, like an overbearing father, her teammates seemed intent on keeping Sakura as chaste as the day she was born. They really wouldn't appreciate him undermining all their hard work.

**- 0000 -**

**Present day...**

"I don't blame you for sleeping with him."

Sakura blinked at his statement. With her face turned down Itachi couldn't catch the confused expression on her face.

_'…sleeping with him'_ his words echoed on her mind. Itachi… he thought she had…

Then it hit her. He really didn't know.

Her mind went to the paper lying on the table, the report of the events from 5 years ago. Could Itachi have misinterpreted what was written there? Come to think of it, she hadn't been thoroughly clear about the extent of her contact with the two Root agents when they were in Suna. It wasn't impossible for someone to assume…

But Itachi was intelligent, exceptionally so. He wouldn't draw such hasty conclusions, would he?

Suddenly Sakura was reminded of their altercation years ago. Of how easily she took advantage of his anger to mislead him. She wanted to push him away and had hurt him in order to do so. Sakura was one of the very few people who had managed to elude the ANBU captain. He must have been deeply hurt to not see through her deceit.

A pang of guilt squeezed her heart.

When he cornered her tonight, she felt fear and angst, but also a prickle of relief somewhere in her mind. It felt like she's been holding her breath for 5 years.

But now she realized he didn't really get it. She wondered if it was best to keep the charade or blurt everything out. It would be such a relief. But also, the truth might hurt him even more.

Itachi still held her shoulders when he felt her land her hands on his chest. At first he saw it as a gesture of surrender. But then she pushed lightly against him, forcing him to let go of her.

"You better go," her soft voice felt like gravel. He thought he had reached her, but something pushed her back; she was retreating into herself again. What happened?

"Sakura," he frowned.

"Who do you think you are to place blame? I don't blame myself. I never did. I have nothing to feel guilty about," she hissed.

He assessed her, the only sentiments he could read was loathe and resentment.

"What? You thought you would come here with this trinket," she pulled the ring from her finger, "a pathetic proposal and I'd throw myself at your feet in gratitude?" She growled throwing the ring at him.

He caught it with easy, a little shocked at her reaction. Sakura wasn't a naturally vicious person, but her words and her attitude would put even Ibiki to shame.

"You must think I'm really desperate to believe I'd take you," she spat, "a single mother with a bastard child, hn? I've been called a lot of things behind my back and at my face, and heard all kinds of dirty insinuations. But you know what I hate the most? The likes of you - people who pity me, who think they are better than me, who think they can throw scraps at me like I was begging for something."

"Sakura, I don't –"

She cut him. "Typical Uchiha… we all should be very grateful to breath the same air as you, right?"

Itachi didn't understand what came over her all of the sudden. She was been irrational. Had his words really offended her so much?

"Let me make something clear, Uchiha," she spat his surname, "I might have some attraction to you, but that's all. You are handsome, I'll give you that. But it's nowhere near enough to get me passed the aversion I have for your clan."

Sakura took a step back and looked at him with anger, "I don't need anything from you. My child doesn't need anything from you. Nothing other than your distance," her voice was low and dangerous. "Stay away from us, got it Uchiha?"

Something was twisting inside of him. He couldn't name it, but somewhere in the middle of this tormented feelings there was anger. He was trembling inwardly with the urge to touch her. He just wasn't sure whether he wanted to hold her or choke her.

He took a step forward.

She took a step back, "get out," she said in a menacing tone.

He wasn't the slightest intimidated. He took another step forward.

This time she held her ground, "get out, or else."

He took another step forward, standing barely a foot away, looking down on her, his blood boiling.

"GET OUT!" she yelled in rage.

Suddenly Itachi was reminded of the boy sleeping in the next room. That definitely had woke him up. Sakura had spoken in whispers the entire night, even when angry or disturbed, constantly concerned about her child's rest.

If she was now screaming her lungs out, she must have reached her limit; and Itachi didn't know what she would do if he pushed further.

His keen ears caught the sound of rustling fabric in the bedroom. She must've heard too. Itachi caught a glimpse of anxiety in her eyes as she threatened, "leave now or I'll make you." His senses picked on the felling of chakra gathering around her fisted hands.

She meant business.

Itachi weighted his options for a second. He could easily subdue her, but not without some commotion. And in her current state she didn't seem to care about the damage to her own apartment or the disturbance of her son, or her neighbors.

Besides, as it is, she had practically spat at his proposal. He had no further business here.

Taking a step back, he schooled his expression and bowed his head politely. He addressed the angry kunoichi with a blank stare. "Sorry to have bothered you."

Sakura ignored the stab she felt at his words, keeping her angry expression in place. "Good night, Haruno-san." With that Itachi turned around and left through the balcony door, disappearing into the night.

Show was over.

Long after he was gone she still held an angry frown, staring blindly at the spot where he stood. It was a while before she allowed herself to take a shaken deep breath in. She swayed and her knees threatened to give in. Taking a few unsteady steps back Sakura leaned against the wall.

Her heart was beating fast, and she fought a losing battle to keep an even breathing. Through the struggling she let out a sob.

It was all that took for her to fall apart.

Her knees suddenly buckled and she slid down the wall, coming down in a heap on the floor. Her body felt strangely numb and, looking down, she notice her hands trembling slightly.

Again she had been forced to push him away, to hurt him, to hurt herself. And damn, she was getting good at it.

She brought her hand to touch her lips with her fingertips, remembering the vicious words she spat, tasting them on her tongue like poison. She felt like wincing the second they came out, but kept the act, even when she glimpsed the hurt in Itachi's eyes.

He wouldn't come back now. Not ever. No one was that masochist. And part of her was glad. Glad because she didn't believe she could ever do this again.

Slumped on the floor, Sakura was so engrossed in her own mourning that she missed the soft click of a door opening. A moment later her eyes focused on a small boy staring at her with a confused look. "Mama? Why you are crying?"

'Kazuki?' She touched her cheeks only now noticing the tears. Surprised, she wiped them away, managing a weak smile. "Mama just had a bad dream," her voice sounded hoarse.

"Oh," the kid replied in a childish way.

"Sorry if I woke you up, Kazuki-chan," she stroked his blond hair fondly, "but it's ok now. It's late. You better go back to bed."

"Okay," the boy made to leave, but then turned around to face his mother. "Here," he offered the stuffed frog he carried around, "you can sleep with Gama-chan tonight."

Sakura looked down at the stuffed frog uncle Naruto had given him. Kazuki loved it - his 'comfort toy'. She pulled the child and held him tight for a moment.

Sakura pulled back and smiled at him through teary eyes. "Thank you, Kazuki-chan," she kissed his cheek. "Let's go to bed." His dark eyes smiled at her and the boy shot into his own room.

Sending a last glance at the balcony door, Sakura followed the little boy to tuck him in.

* * *

**I told you guys: please don't hate me. Just be patient, ok?**

**All I can say is that I am a sucker for happy endings, but until then... well, you'll see.**

**Please! Don't forget to review! See ya!**

**dai86.**

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	6. Extent of betrayal

**Again guys, thank you for the reviews.**

**I'm not sure, but I think I might be in the middle of my story now.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. At first it had over 8k words but I did some editing and managed to get it down to a little over 6k.**

**Hopefully you won't find it too long or boring.**

**Thanks**

**dai86**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Extent of betrayal**

* * *

**Five years ago...**

The group laughed loudly in the end of the bar, hearing to a story one of the nurses had been telling them. For her part, Sakura had half her attention on Sasaki, who seemed a little down. '_Wasn't she the one to push for this farewell party?'_

But she knew the brunet must be mourning Kouga's departure. But there was nothing to do about it. If the man had decided to leave… well, it couldn't be helped. Apparently, his parents had written him asking to return as soon as possible – something about family matters.

For whatever reason, Jin had decided to stay longer. No one questioned him, everyone liked to have him around.

"So Sakura-chan. Won't you give Jin even a farewell kiss?" one of the girls teased.

Sakura rolled her eyes, thankful for Jin being away at the moment. "Don't start again. He is not in love with me," she argued.

"Please, Sakura-chan, you can't be that dense. The boy must've brought you an entire field of flowers," one of the male doctors teased.

"You guys suck," Sakura grumbled.

Suddenly she saw a drink being held in front of her. Caught off guard she looked sideways to find Jin smiling. "Here you go. The bartender said you'd like this," he said dangling the glass.

At the sudden silence and the mischievous smiles from everybody, Sakura focused really hard on her drink, taking a large gulp of it. Belatedly she realized the sweet scent masked a strong punch to the drink. She chocked and coughed violently.

Jin came to her aid, patting her softly on the back. "Are you okay? Sorry, I didn't realize it was this strong."

"Geez Jin, are you trying to get her drunk or something?" one of the other guys teased.

"What? Of course not. I –"

"Lay off him. It's not that strong. I just wasn't expecting it," Sakura defended after regaining her breathing abilities.

"Hey! Aren't you seventeen? You shouldn't been drinking, should you?" one of the girls pointed out.

"You just realized that, Ami?" Sakura laughed. "It's all right. I'm emancipated as shinobi."

The people around looked curiously at her. Sasaki cocked her head at Sakura, "What do you mean?"

"Shinobi does all sort of things to accomplish missions, especially the high ranked ones. It would seem illogical to prevent them from acquiring independence in their own village, don't you think? So, once you get jounin status you're automatically emancipated," she said before continuing. "It's not that uncommon, really. Many shinobi reach jounin before eighteen, sometimes as young as twelve.""

"Even so," Jin interject, "you might wanna go easy on the alcohol a bit. Otherwise you'll end up being carried home." He moved to get the glass from her, but she swatted his hand away.

"I can hold my liquor pretty well, thank you very much, mom," she snapped at him.

At her reaction he shrugged and sent her a crooked smirk, "whatever you say, momo-chan. Don't say I didn't warn you later."

Sakura pouted and took a long swig of her drink in a childish attitude.

**- 000 –**

"I don't mean to be a pain in the ass, but I did warn you."

Sakura groaned something intelligible in reply.

He sat her on the couch to remove her sandals. Sakura rested her head against the back of the couch and realized she must've dozed off, because the next moment she was faced with a mug of hot black tea.

"You don't have any coffee," he offered her. True, she hadn't bothered to do groceries since she'd be leaving soon.

She thanked him and accepted the mug, taking a sip and relishing on the warm sensation. Looking to her side she realized he had a mug of his own and had sat at her side on the couch.

Feeling her eyes on him he directed his attention to her. Sakura watched as his inquisitive look turned into sudden realization. Placing his mug on the center table he made to get up. "You must be tired. I should leave."

Sakura seized his wrist.

"Don't." she said hastily. Watching his surprised eyes she drew back her hand self-conscious. "I mean… I'm not that tired. You can stay for a while."

He smiled and sat back on the couch. "Okay," he said simply, and resumed drinking his tea.

Sakura was glad. She liked his presence. She liked having Jin around and talking to him. So, they carried on talking and laughing. Her drunken haziness clearing gradually as they conversed in rushed tones.

She exhaled deeply. "It seems these last months went by so fast. Tomorrow will be my last day here,… then I'll be leaving," she said softly.

Running her eyes around the living room - her home for the last months - she felt a hint of longing tugging at her heart. Her eyes finally rested on Jin's face. There was sadness and anxiety beneath his serious expression.

"You'll be leaving…" he echoed her words. "I really would like you to stay, Saku-chan."

Instead of awkwardness, Sakura felt a warm feeling on her chest. She held the empty mug tighter between her hands. "I'd like to stay too. But I also really want to go back."

She heard a soft laugh coming from his throat, and it felt like it echoed into her chest. Since the day she met Jin, there was a pleasant quality to his voice that reached something inside her.

Without any words he took the mug from her hands and placed both his and hers on the low table before turning back to her with the same intense stare. "I'm gonna miss you."

He drew closer and Sakura stared back inquisitively. Suddenly his face was inches away from hers, and she found it harder to breath. "Sakura please," he whispered against her lips, "indulge me this one time."

Before she could catch on his meaning, he pressed his lips against hers. It was gentle and soft, but it made her mind swirl violently, making her heart quicken. She felt like she was drunk again, and couldn't understand her chaotic thoughts.

He deepened the kiss, and she let him. Jin punctuated each contacted of their lips with words Sakura couldn't quite make sense of. She just knew of his voice echoing in her head and dragging her deeper under.

Before she knew they were stumbling on a bed. Her bed.

'When had they come to her bedroom?'

All reason lost, she was eagerly responding to his kisses, his touches, his words. It was all happening so fast. One second they were talking on her couch, and the next they were rolling around on her sheets.

Only when she felt his bare chest against her she realized he had shed both his shirt and hers. "Sakura," it was the only thing she registered among his moaned words. One of his hands ran down her belly and tugged at the edge of her underwear. Next, it endeavored beyond… underneath it.

She threw her head back against the pillow and he attacked her neck. Sakura's hands were digging on the muscles on his back, and then they ran up to his scalp. Her fingers felt short slightly curly hair.

Somehow that felt unnatural. She had expected to find long silk hair there. She crooked her eyes open and looked down at the blond mane. Suddenly the image of long jet black hair invaded her mind, and along it came the sight of deep onyx eyes.

Itachi's.

Jin's words started to sound distant and she became aware of her current situation. She was in bed with other man than Itachi, tangled with him, his hand shoved inside her underwear.

What the hell was she doing?

She seized his wrist and pulled at it weakly. "Don't," she breathed out.

He didn't relinquish his hold on her, only raising his head to place his lips next to her ear. "You want this Sakura," his deep voice resonated within her.

She felt like drowning in him, and couldn't quite call it unpleasant. But she didn't want this. Amidst the sound of Jin's voice she could hear Itachi's own calling out to her.

The memory of Itachi washed over her and this time she effectively snapped out of this haze of lust. She yanked at his wrist and tried to push him off of her with her other hand, twisting her neck to face away from his kisses. "Stop it Jin," she insisted breathless.

Suddenly he seized both of her wrists and held them against the bed, next to her head. "Don't fight me Sakura," he whispered softly, but she could hear an undertone of threat. Every inch of him was now pressed intimately against her, and the weight of his body on her was starting to feel rather unpleasant.

She decided to forget gentleness and get him the fuck off of her. He was rather taller and heavier than her, but it meant nothing for a shinobi. In fact, she had to be careful not to hurt him. Summoning a little chakra she firmly pushed against his hold.

Nothing happened.

Concern started to prick at the back of her mind. Her chakra was there, and nothing was blocking it, but she just couldn't will herself to push him. It was like those moments between wakefulness and unconsciousness when you go to sleep, and your body won't respond to your commands, but you're too sleepy to care.

But Sakura wasn't sleepy, and was well of the six foot man on top of her. Forfeiting subtlety she tried again, squirming underneath him.

Jin felt her movements, her wrists twisting under his hands. She was trying to resist him and he moved to dampen her attempts. She kept her face turned away from him, exposing her neck. He planted small kisses on it, up until her ear, where he whispered to her. "You can't fight me Sakura. You don't want to resist it."

And with that she felt impossible not to obey. She relaxed under him for a second and he resumed touching her.

When he tugged at her panties however, she felt a prickle of panic edging on her. Abruptly an image of Itachi invaded her mind again. He has one of those subtle smiles that reach up to his eyes, the kind he saves only for her. She remembers the gentle way he cuddled her face whenever they met before kissing her softly on the forehead.

Suddenly her eyes stung. She didn't want this. She wanted out. Now!

Summoning all her will she pushed Jin off. Carefulness be damned.

Her sheer force throws him off of her, and off the bed. The violence should have sent him careening against the wall, but when she bolted up in bed to access the damage she's done to him, she saw him crouching on the floor in what reminded her of a fighting stance. He's staring hard at her and something in his eyes sends alarm bells going off on her head. She's gripped with the sudden urge to grab a weapon.

The standoff holds for a second until Jin appears to get a hold of himself and relaxes. He stands up and backs away. His eyes grow soft and his features turn back to the friendly man she knows, his expression is apologetic.

However, Sakura couldn't find in her to relax. Her shinobi instincts kicked in screaming at her not to lower her guard after the way he just stared at her. She wasn't crazy, was she? It had been the same feeling as when you face an enemy in battle.

He held his hands up in an appeasing way. "Sakura, I'm sorry. I –", he took a step in her direction, prompting her to rise hastily to her feet, standing on the opposite side of the bed.

She was obviously wary of him. He sighed resigned, lowering his hands. "I better leave," he said turning towards the door.

Sakura didn't relax until she heard the soft click of her front door signaling his departure. Her heart was still slamming hard against her ribcage. She was a kunoichi. She was not used to be on the underside of such situations.

She couldn't explain those few moments when her conscious mind seemed unresponsive, and she couldn't will her body to push him off. The experience of being held down on a bed against her will left her shaken, to say the least.

And the worst part was that it had been done by someone she trusted. At those brief seconds it was almost like she didn't recognize Jin. What if he didn't back off? He was a civilian, her rational mind pointed out. He would be the one to end up hurt, for sure.

Somehow, another part of her mind told her she should be glad he had backed away.

**- 000 -**

"You're in a rather good mood, Itachi-kun." Uchiha Mikoto said cheerfully.

The shinobi looked across the table to acknowledge his mother. Itachi was very reserved. Even people close to him wouldn't discern his good days from an ordinary one. It took a mother to pick on the telltale signs of his state of mind. "I'm just enjoying the meal, ka-chan. It's been a while since we last sat together for lunch."

Mikoto gave him a warm smile. "Yes, indeed."

Her expectant smile told him she didn't buy his non-committed answer. If he wanted to dodge her questioning, he would have to come up with a better excuse. He really wasn't inclined to tell his family he was in high spirits due to the impending return of a certain kunoichi.

He let out a soft laugh to appease his mother. "My team received a commendation from the Hokage yesterday." Well, this much was true.

Sasuke scoffed, "so, what's new? Didn't you get one last year, too?"

"A commendation from the Hokage is a great honor, Sasuke," Fugaku interjected, "despite how many times you get it."

Sasuke shut his mouth, he knew better than to contradict his father on this. He was way passed trying to constantly please the man, but it didn't mean he would pick every little argument he could. After spending his childhood trying to fit the role model left by his older brother, the younger Uchiha realized it was a stupid endeavor.

Of course, it took years of putting up with a lot of clan crap, and the threat of losing his team to get Sasuke to kick the bucket. Sasuke would be the best shinobi he could be, but on his own terms. His father and the clan were not pleased when he defied their wishes, for sure. But his team had backed him up all the way, like always.

The relationship with his father had suffered, no doubt, but eventually things settled and they were able to reach some sort of unspoken agreement. Not without some subtle interference from his mother, of course. Nowadays, Sasuke could almost say he saw some kind of grudge respect in his father's eyes.

That was a decision Sasuke could never regret. If his defiance had smudged his image within the clan, it also allowed him a certain level of freedom. He had proven to be too stubborn to abide by clan's interests; therefore, he was dismissed as a key figure, despite his obvious skills.

Itachi, on the other hand, was the key figure in the clan. He would be the next clan head after all, with everything that entailed – good and bad. Sasuke often wondered if his brother ever resented his position in the clan, having his every action judged and scrutinized, his every step bound by the clan's agenda.

He looked sideways and contemplated his older brother for a second.

His aniki was such a hard person to read. If he had any objections towards the meddling in his life he would never demonstrate. Itachi was more likely to manipulate things stealthily so matters would go his way. Hn, Sasuke should rest assured that his brother was no clan pawn – more likely the player.

For his part Itachi was not bothered by his mother's assessments. He was indeed in a good mood and had no desire to suppress it. When Shizune came by the ANBU headquarters this morning to get the shift roster for the Hokage, he asked nonchalantly about Sakura, and the assistant shared a very interesting piece of information.

Sakura had left Suna yesterday morning – meaning she should be arriving in Konoha the day after tomorrow, at the latest.

Excited with the news, Itachi tried to collect further information without raising the kunoichi's suspicion. "Hn, I don't see ANBU operatives assigned for the escort here. Did the Hokage send regular shinobi?"

"Ah, Sakura-chan forwent an escort," she informed him.

"She's crossing borders with medical research, isn't she? That's considered confidential information. Escort is standard protocol in this case," he said in an even tone.

Shizune smiled sheepishly, it was very Itachi like to scold the Hokage's assistant. "Sakura traveled this route more times than I can remember; and she's a capable jounin. Don't worry Itachi-san."

Itachi wasn't worried at all. If anything he was anxious. After the conversation with Shizune he rearranged his team's schedule to ascertain that he would be free in the next few days.

Taking a bite of his fish, he decided to take the time to train while waiting for her arrival. His mind drifted to the ring resting in his drawer. Indulging his imaginations, Itachi tried to picture her face when he gave it to her.

"You're smiling," he heard his mother comment.

"This fish is really tasty, ka-chan," he humored her with his faint smile. Mikoto could only laugh at her son's antics. Despite the reason, Mikoto enjoyed seeing Itachi in such good humor.

Strangely, from his spot at the table, Fugaku eyed his older son with a reproachful disdain.

**- 000 –**

Sakura landed on the branch and propelled herself up to the next one. She was glad her backpack wasn't that heavy, otherwise she'd have trouble to keep up with her two ANBU escorts. Apparently they weren't used to travel at a regular shinobi pace. No, they just kept speeding at what she guessed was ANBU regular pace.

Not that she was incapable of keeping up with them, she just didn't see the urgency. And in her defense, they were not carrying a backpack worth three months of medical research.

Well, on the bright side, they should arrive at Konoha faster. It was barely their second day of traveling and they were already in the middle of the River Country. At this rhythm they'd be reaching Fire Country's border by nightfall, and then it would be less than a day till Konoha.

She felt her chest swell at the thought of finally coming home. Her home, her work, her friends… but above all, Itachi. She was giddy with the prospect of reuniting with him. This anxiety was also due to the incident a few days earlier with Jin.

Even though nothing happened, she still felt a bit guilty about it. Sakura wasn't sure if this was something to mention to Itachi or not. Perhaps some things were better left unsaid.

The next day after the incident with Jin she packed and went by the hospital to collect the research scrolls and bid her friends farewell. She was hoping to run into him to clear the air – he was still her friend, despite it all. Nobody seemed to know where he was, thought. Maybe it was for the best that they didn't meet. They probably wouldn't see each other again anyway. But Sakura still felt odd leaving things like this.

She sighed and looked ahead to the shinobi running in front of her. These guys didn't take much to conversation, she realized – typical ANBU.

Sakura had cleared her apartment and notified Gaara of her departure yesterday morning, only to find these two ANBU waiting for her at the village entrance. They simply handed her the scroll with their orders to escort her back to Konoha.

"I've told the Tsunade-sama an escort was unnecessary," she had protested.

"Standard protocol. We're just following orders, Haruno-san," was the short answer.

And that was the longest they talked since they began their trip. Last night they arranged guard duty shifts with a few words, and after the brief eye shut – because that's what four hours of sleep represented to Sakura – they resumed traveling without exchanging any verbal communication.

She looked back to the other man speeding behind her. If possible, he talked even less than his companion. Sakura couldn't really get anything out of him, not even a name. Traveling with a masked shinobi tailing you had proven to be quite uncomfortable. She got the constant feeling like his eyes were boring into her back.

'_Maybe he was staring at her ass.'_

Sakura laughed to herself. That's what her teammates would say. Yeah, right. As far as she knows, a naked woman wouldn't distract an ANBU on mission. Naruto had learned this the hard way.

The funny memory reminded her of her blond friend. She should talk to him soon. Things were left awkward between them a few weeks ago. At the time she was caught off guard by the kiss and the confession, but she'd been thinking about it and had time to find the right words to explain things to Naruto. Luckily, their friendship would come off unscathed.

Suddenly a sense of warning pulled her from her thoughts. She scanned their surrounding and found nothing. Her escorts hadn't hint at any impending danger. Surely they'd be more apt at sensing trouble than her…

But it was more than shinobi instincts. It was an intuition, a gut feeling that something was off. She sent her senses on high alert and prepared herself for something – she just didn't know what.

After tree-hoping for another five minutes without any incidents, Sakura was beginning to think that she might be a little paranoid. If there were any enemies around, they would have already attacked them by now. But if she learned anything from Kakashi was not to ignore her gut feeling, however slightly it may tickle you.

Almost on cue, a sudden feeling shouted danger in her mind and as she heard a sharp whizz, she twisted her head left on reflex. By the corner of her eye she saw a dart fly by her, inches away from her neck. Instead of landing on the next tree branch she folded her knees and went swiftly by it, using the next branch on her trajectory to flip backwards and land at one of the lowest branches.

Adrenaline was high on her system now, but she gave no outwards signs, remaining calm and trying to sense the chakras around her. Where were her two companions? Certainly ANBU weren't caught off guard that easily.

She heard another whizz and jumped to dodge a rain of darts. Tracing the base of its trajectory she saw a blur of black and white, and recognized the ANBU outfit.

'_What the fuck? Her escorts were attacking her?'_ In a split of second she recalled their meeting just outside Suna's entrance. They hadn't bothered to inform the Kazekage's office or even approach the gate keepers. Back then Sakura only assumed they didn't wanna bother with bureaucracy.

But what about the scroll they had handed her, the one with the Hokage seal? If it wasn't authentic it was a pretty damn good forgery.

'_Shit!' _She thought while shedding her backpack and letting it fall to the forest floor to improve her maneuverability. She didn't have time to analyze what's and why's. Obviously she had been stupid enough to fall in a trap.

Forming the seals, she produced a shadow clone. Then both ran in opposite directions. She had two foes, the first thing she should do was force them to split. At least it would increase her chances.

Running through the forest canopy she could feel one of the men chasing after her, assuming the other one went for her clone. He was fast, and would catch up with her any moment now. Taking the initiative, she drew her kunai and did a back flip on the next branch, surprising her pursuer in midair.

He was skilled enough to avoid her slash, but the unexpected move sent him off balance and he had to bounce on the tree trunk to reach another branch. Still he managed to throw another dart at her with precision. She avoided it by a hair thread, and watched it bury itself on the trunk by her head.

That's when she noticed – those where drugged darts. They were not trying to kill her. They wanted to capture her.

She ignored the inquisitive thoughts in her head in favor of escaping now. If they needed her alive, she'd use it as leverage in battle. She had the advantage, not having any qualms about killing them and all.

Lunging forward, she deflected another dart with her kunai and landed on the same branch as the man in ANBU uniform. "Who are you?" she snarled.

Impassive behind the mask, Kouga simply drew his tanto and attacked her. She blocked it with her kunai and kicked at his legs, which he avoided easily with a jump backwards.

After a few minutes filled with the sounds of clashing blades, they ended up fighting on the forest ground. She was more skilled at evasion and fighting than Kouga had anticipated. But if he kept the battle leveled for a little longer, Jin would return to assist him. It wouldn't take long to get rid of her clone, because this one was obviously the original kunoichi. And she would have no chance against the two of them.

Following the same line of thought, Sakura was growing worried by the second. She had to neutralize this one soon to have any chance of escaping. Putting together a plan, she decided to try her luck and see how adept this shinobi was at genjutsu.

She rushed, drawing them further away from the other man and her clone. Her current opponent was hot on her heels, and behind her he couldn't see her hands forming the seals.

Kouga was inches away from her, and with a final lunge he reached her, pushing against her back with enough force to throw her off balance face first on the ground. But his hand found no resistance, and instead, went through her, suddenly lost amidst an explosion of leaves.

What the… a clone? He whirled around searching for her chakra signature, only to find a fist coming towards his face. Deftly he avoided it and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him and jamming the handle of his tanto into her gut.

She doubled over and for a second he believed he had her. Until he felt the body vanish under pressure, exploding again in leaves. Damn girl!

But she couldn't keep it forever. Clones demanded a lot of chakra, and according to her profile, stamina wasn't one of her strong features. If she believed she could get a lucky shot in, he would prove her mistaken.

Anticipating a punch from above, he twisted out of the way and stabbed his weapon through his attacker as he waited for the clone to disperse itself. However, this time there was no explosion of leaves. Instead, he found he had stabbed through a log.

_Body replacement technique._

Belatedly he saw her kick coming towards him and evaded quickly, forfeiting the blade jammed in the log to escape the blow. He knew better than to let her land any hits on him. Now, he was facing the pink haired kunoichi without his tanto. She had put away her kunai too, he realized.

He understood. That's what she had wanted – to force him in a hand-to-hand combat. Idiot. She may be good at it, but he was better. Despite her ability to draw brute force from chakra, Kouga was faster than her. Way faster.

Sakura faced the shinobi in front of her steadfast. She had to put an end to it now. Not seconds ago she felt her clone being dispelled. The other ANBU was coming this way. He should be here in few minutes.

They lunged at each other and the dance began. She kicked and punched at him, but he managed to evade her. Somehow though, Kouga noted, her movements were barely a fraction of second behind his own. Usually, in battle, he was deathly fast – there was no speed to match his own. That's why he always had the upper hand in taijutsu.

But the kunoichi proved to be equally fast, something at odds with what he got from her official profile.

Unless…He realized she wasn't as fast as he. Actually, he's the one who seemed to be slower. His moves were lacking the usual speed, slowed by a fraction of second only, but enough to even their speed. It wasn't fatigue, the fight had just begun. Maybe…

Genjutsu.

Flipping backwards he gained enough distance from her to be able to dispel the illusion. Kai.

Predictably, the world twirled and twisted around him, pulling off the veil of her genjutsu. It took only a second for reality to set in, but when it did a kick came from behind him. Sensing it, he twisted away and avoided it, but not entirely.

With barely a graze of her heel, her chakra laden kick managed to send him skidding on the ground and crashing against a tree. He tried to raise and found himself unable to do so. The damage had been bad.

Kouga didn't have time to dwell on it, for the next second the kunoichi was charging at him with a chakra scalpel forming in her hand. Survival instincts kicking in, he drew three senbon, ready to use deathly means to defend himself. But before he could shoot them, a body slammed against her, intercepting her attack.

Jin had arrived.

Sakura felt the shinobi crash against her side and used the momentum to row their bodies and throw him against a tree. But the man merely bounced on it, and, with cat like grace, landed in front of her.

By the corner of her eye she saw her first opponent still on the ground. He seemed more or less done for. Good. But now she had to focus on her new problem – the masked man standing in front of her.

Thinking that she had traveled over a day with her unprotected back turned to him sent chills up her spine. Only now she realized why they waited so long to strike. They were right in the middle of River Country, away from both Wind and Fire Country borders. The chance of drawing the attention of any shinobi patrol was slight to none.

She really had been ambushed. And now she was on her own.

Taking a step forward she noticed how her left arm felt strangely heavy and numb. She glanced down to find a long scratch on her inner forearm. Panicking, she scanned the forest ground until she found it. A dart laying on the floor where he had clashed against her.

He had tried to stab her with the drugged dart. And even though he failed, the graze from the needle managed to numb the area around the wound. If she did nothing, the drug would knock her out in a few minutes.

Hurriedly, Sakura directed healing chakra to the scratch to halt the spread of the drug. It helped, but it would only buy her a little while. She had to wrap this fight up and extract the drug properly.

Facing her adversary, she noticed his unwillingness in advancing at her with his tanto. Of course, they wanted her alive – he was waiting to see if the drug would kick in. At this point, lucky would be the only thing that could help Sakura, so she bet all her chips on her acting skills.

She swayed on her feet like a drunk, faking haziness through a glazed expression. She blinked as if struggling to stay awake, but her mind was cunningly assessing the man's reactions.

On his part, Jin assumed the drug was taking effect, and advanced calmly but cautiously towards her. She looked like tumbling any second now. The girl tried vainly to run away, only managing to trip on her own legs and come down in an inelegant thump.

Predictably, by the time he reached her she was lying unconscious on her side.

Jin took a second to contemplate the woman sprawled on the floor with a tinge of worry, and then bent down to assess her condition.

Faster than he could react, she turned and swung her elbow into his mask. He flew back with a resounding crack and before he could regain his balance her foot connected with his chest. Even as he gasped for air he flipped away from her awkwardly.

Sakura had not loaded the first blows with chakra, as to prevent him from detecting her ruse before she could hit him. But now she lunged at the man with killing intent. She had to take advantage of his brief disorientation if she wanted any chance of bringing him down.

He managed to dodge her flying kick. And felt extremely luck for it after realizing the thick tree trunk that received the blow had cracked in two under the sheer force, splinters flying everywhere. Sakura barely landed on the ground and spun around to charge at him again.

But then she froze.

Her initial blow to his face had broken his mask, but only now she got the first clear view of his face.

"Jin?"

From the moment he felt his mask crack he knew she would recognize him. And when he heard her whisper his name, Jin couldn't explain the sudden twist in his stomach as he saw shock and betrayal in her features.

He should've taken the opportunity to knock her down, but his feet were planted on the ground. He couldn't move, and apparently, neither could she.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan-no-jutsu!"

Their trance was broken when Kouga's water dragon slammed hard at her, throwing Sakura against a tree several meters away.

She didn't even had time to register the pain before everything went dark.

**- 000 –**

**Present day...**

Itachi kept on his way towards the Uchiha compound. His body language betrayed nothing of his inner turmoil. Even if he was edging on rage and frustration.

Surrounded and outnumbered in enemy territory? He was cool, calculative and sharp.

Facing his parents and the Clan elders pushing for his marriage? Collected and uncompromising, yet respectful.

But it took a few minutes of conversation with Sakura to get him rattled beyond belief.

Never in his life he felt like cursing out loud and breaking things like now. Well, perhaps after that last conversation they had, five years ago.

Why she had to be so unbelievably stubborn? If anything, his visit tonight proved she still had feelings for him. He saw it in her eyes, on the way she responded to his touches. To his kisses.

Itachi closed his eyes remembering the feel of her lips. Soft, sweet, warm… the same way they had been back then. He shut that line of thinking. Moreover, tonight's events proved they could not be together. Sakura's was clear on how she felt about his clan – very clear – and about him.

He was not a masochist to pursuit what he could not have. He was not about to admit how much it hurt when she tossed the ring at him, but he vowed to never let himself feel that way again. It was his fault. He had put himself in that vulnerable position. He had bared his neck and she went straight for the jugular.

Itachi felt like slapping himself for his miscalculation. Apparently he didn't know Sakura as well as he thought. They haven't spoken for real in nearly five years. She was a different person now, clearly.

But when they talked over tea tonight, it was like time hadn't passed at all. Everything had filled him with nostalgia – the tea set, the scents, her eyes… She had been the same Sakura again, with those big jade eyes filled with so many emotions. Everything was fine, she was giving in to him… until he mentioned that incident in Suna.

Her mood then made a turn to the worse. He had never seen such a vicious side of her. Sakura had always been a compassionate woman, which went fine with her duties as a doctor, but was rather at odds with her shinobi status. Tonight, it was like seeing an entirely different person.

But to be honest, Itachi had seen a glimpse of this unpleasant side of her once before. It had been a few weeks after her return from that mission in Suna. He remembered he felt pretty much like he was feeling now. Understandable, since Sakura had acted pretty much like she acted tonight.

That damned mission. That's when everything started to come off tracks for them.

It seems that whenever he brings up this subject with her, things fall apart. Funny thing is, he never managed to get anything out of her. If he hadn't gotten that classified report he wouldn't know anything at all.

He stopped in the middle of the road. From there he could already see the lights on the compound's gate ahead. Something prickled at his mind.

Tonight he went to Sakura for answers, yet he had gotten none. He went to her apartment with his own assumptions, which she neither denied nor confirmed. He had been so preoccupied in making clear that he didn't condemn her doings in the past, that he never actually got confirmation of said doings.

She just had to go and piss him off so badly that he pushed aside any other matter… the same way she did years ago.

Now he saw her tactics. He pressed her about this subject, and she would piss him off – in a rather nasty way – in order to push him away.

And he fell for it. Twice, now.

To say he felt stupid was the understatement of the year.

But why Sakura felt the need to do so? What would make her push him away when she clearly liked him? Whenever he mentioned Suna she would turn defensive and abrasive.

But by bringing her the report he took from the Hokage's personal files he made clear that he was aware of what had happened. She had nothing to hide anymore. Had she?

Through the report he concluded what were Danzou's intentions by sending someone with Yamanaka Jin's particular skills after Sakura. Honestly, he could not blame her for falling for this trap – Itachi knew more experienced and skilled shinobi had yielded.

Unless Sakura had not yielded.

Itachi felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach at the possibility. Impulsively he turned around darting back to her apartment.

Enough with polite and proper. Itachi would yank the truth out of her by whatever means necessary.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think?**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story so far.**

**Don't forget to review, kay?**

**Kisses!**

**dai86**

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	7. Lies

**Hey guys!**

**To avoid posting a long chapter I broke this one down in two parts.**

**So, there won't be any 'present' scenes on this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Please, let me know if you're finding the story to confusing or boring and I'll try to improve. All comments help!**

**Thanks!**

**dai86**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Lies…**

* * *

**Five years ago...**

When Sakura woke up, the first thing she noticed was her throbbing head. Even without seeing she could bet there was an ugly bruise shadowing her forehead and right temple. Hazily, she registered her wrists shacked against the wall above her head.

She looked around and realized she was inside some sort of cave. There was a small fire burning a few feet away and a few items were scattered near it, along with what looked like her backpack.

Then, it all came back to her – the ambush, the fight… Jin.

Panic surged within her chest and she pulled against the shackles. It didn't budge at all, and she pulled harder summoning her chakra.

Nothing happened.

Felling a strange energy pressure at her wrists, she twisted her neck to look up. That's when she saw the seals – chakra binds.

"Awaken, at last, Haruno-san?"

She jerked her head to find two men stepping inside the cave. It took her a moment to recognize them against the fire dim light. But as they came closer she could see their profile more clearly – Jin and Kouga.

She couldn't name the felling churning in her guts when her eyes landed on them – especially Jin –, but it left a bad taste on her mouth. These were obviously shinobi who had been undercover as civilians. They had fooled her for months.

"Who are you?" she spat venomously.

"That's not for you to know, Haruno-san. What you need to know is that we are here on behalf of Konoha," Kouga said in an emotionless tone.

Giving her disbelieving expression, they explained they were indeed Konoha ANBU, and proved their point by presenting the Hokage's personal seal. Sakura could tell it was authentic.

"The Hokage ordered me captured, shackled and questioned?" she asked bewildered.

"We are not at liberty to discuss details," Kouga answered shortly.

At first they'd been almost courteous, referring to the shackles as a safety measure... Apparently, this was merely an inquire to ensure her loyalty to the village's best interest.

And as the questioning progressed, the pieces started to fall in place in her head. And not too long after the name of Uchiha Itachi came up, she made sense of the whole situation. Upon closer inspection, she saw the little telltale details on the uniform and their MO.

These were not ANBU. They were Root agents.

Sakura was a smart woman, and had been working under Tsunade for years now. Her position allowed her a better grasp at Konoha's internal political issues than most shinobi. Of course she knew Root… and Shimura Danzou for that matter.

Her shishou would never condone anything like this. The Hokage wasn't aware of anything about this.

Realizing Danzou was really the one behind all this, she turned uncooperative and demanded to be taken before the Hokage at once.

That's when the interaction turned not so civil and the cards started to be laid on the table. It seemed Danzou wouldn't settle for the simple explanation – the truth – that she was simply personally involved with Itachi. His distrustful, paranoid mind could only see political agendas and manipulative games – not really surprising considering how his mind worked.

The duo of shinobi didn't respond well to her refusals to answer further questions, and resorted to other methods.

Except for the bruises on her head (earned from the fighting), they didn't so much as scratch her. But they did try to investigate her mind. Jin seemed quite adept at mind probing. But as a genjutsu type, Sakura excelled in repelling these jutsus. Once, Kakashi had even commented that this skill of hers would be helpful if she was ever interrogated. It wasn't something she ever wanted to put to test. Like now.

Hours dragged by, and Sakura felt exhausted. She hadn't even noticed when the second man had left the cave. It seemed the mind reading technique proved too ineffective for their purposes, making Jin change his venue of attack. Removing the hand he had rested on top of her head for the jutsu, he cradled her face with both hands.

The blond man ran his thumbs softly over her cheeks as his fingers carefully ran over the back of her neck. His touch was almost tender. They locked eyes, and for a moment she thought she had seen a shadow of sorrow on his eyes.

But Sakura couldn't dwell longer on that as a familiar sensation washed over her. She couldn't quite explain – it felt like a cold shower… causing euphoria to run through her, but yet, it was somewhat calm.

Strangely it was caused by his energy forcibly pushing through her chakra system. She could sense him going through her mind easily, as if flipping the pages of a book.

Random images of her memories ran through her head – childhood, missions, medical information –, everything was mixed up. Jin only seemed interested on those concerning Tsunade or Itachi. She was vaguely aware of his voice, that enticing sound, asking her what he wished for her to recall.

Panic shot through her and she tried to kick and twist under his hands. However her body barely twitched. No matter how hard she fought her conscious mind didn't obey. It was like déjà vu. He had done the same thing to her the other night, when he had tried to… to seduce her. At that moment she hadn't realized, but now she recognize the way his chakra tapped on hers, invading, pushing, coercing. It was like a genjutsu, but stronger. It affected more than just perception – it tampered her judgment, subdued her will.

She had never felt anything like this – maybe some sort of kekkei gekkai?

But if Sakura managed to break it once when she wasn't even aware of it, she could certainly do it now. Even in her hazed state she had figured he was affecting her through her senses, with his voice, his touch, his eyes. Maybe even his smell. Being a medic she was fully aware of how strongly hormones like pheromones could affect people without their knowledge.

Thus, before anything, she forced her eyes closed, cutting their eye contact. The shackles didn't allow her to cover her ears or fend off his touch, so she forced her mind away.

She just picked a random memory and gripped it like her life depended on it.

It was one of a warm afternoon in which she laid lazily in Itachi's arms. She focused on the sound of the river nearby and the rustle of the leaves. She remembered the various shades of colors from the maple forest across the river, and imagined the grass tickling her legs while she laid back against a warm body, her elbows resting on his bent knees at her sides. Itachi's chest rose and fell behind her while he ran random paths with his fingers on the skin of her arms. When she shivered slightly, Sakura felt the soft tremble against her back – he was chuckling.

Jin sneered quietly. He did not want to see this, but whenever he tried to push her out of there she clutched the memory like a leech. She had no access to her chakra. She was pushing him back on sheer will.

That would not do! He just pushed harder and harder. But no matter what, she wouldn't let go of that memory, keeping him trapped there. And the harder he pushed the harder she clutched to it.

They kept this tug of war until her mind started to tear like ripped fabric.

Jin heard a strained scream of pain and pulled his hands back, afraid of the damage he might have caused her. Her head lolled forward, her chin coming to rest against her chest, and when he pulled her chin up, a thin trail of blood was running from her nose.

Hastily he pushed each eyelid open to study her irises, then placed two fingers on her neck to check her pulse. He sighed relieved. Despite her haggard state she seemed fine – more or less, anyway. He looked down the passed out woman. "Stupid," he mumbled while wiping the blood from her nose. Cradling her head up, he studied her face. There was a thin layer of sweat covering her grimacing expression – she looked pained.

Certain that she would not regain conscious anytime soon, he released her shackles from the cavern wall and slid her down to the floor so she could rest. Alone, he allowed himself a gentle gesture, pushing a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"Why so stubborn?" he murmured quietly.

When he rose to his feet Jin felt a bolt of dizziness. Probing her mind had taken its toll on him. Using his kekkei genkai to push people always demanded a good deal of chakra, but usually he only had to do it once. Sakura, however, seemed obstinate on repelling him. He could push harder, but considering how obstinate she is, he would end up killing her before she allowed him to search through her mind freely.

Stepping out of the cavern he was momentarily blinded by the sunlight – it was morning already. No wonder he was so tired, he had been trying to get information out of her since last night.

"You look like shit. Did you get anything?" He turned to find Kouga coming towards him.

"Not much. I managed to isolate some conversations with the Uchiha about her work with the Hokage, but it was mostly personal stuff," Jin massaged his temples tiredly. "Also, the Hokage seemed to have mentioned some reservations about some of the elders' interventions and ways to circumvent them… but she shut me out then."

"Shut you out?" Kouga asked.

"I just wasted time and chakra with the mind reading jutsu. And when I tried to break her barriers by pushing her mind she just… didn't let me," Jin tried to explain.

"I thought you could push anybody's will. That's why you were chosen for this mission," Kouga said impassively. "When you tried to seduce her, the concern was to not let her notice you were a shinobi, but now… she is shackled and chakraless."

After shifting his position uncomfortably while bracing his cracked ribs, Kouga sighed, "you turned out to be quite useless for this mission, Jin."

If he felt offended, Jin didn't show, maybe too tired to argue with his sempai over pointless things. But that was true. If he had managed to lure her into bed he would have eventually broken her bounds with the Uchiha.

Considering her personality, the medic would confess to her lover having cheated on him. Of course the Uchiha will not end the relationship, seeing as she is his source of information in the Hokage office. After that, it will be a matter of drop a fell suggestion here and there for Sakura to start suspecting his ulterior motives in a relationship with her. Once the seed of mistrust was planted, they would just have to wait until things turned sour between the lovebirds.

After that the problem would be solved, for Danzou at least. If shown beneficial, Jin would keep his charade as a civilian, taking the Uchiha's place as her lover, and possibly gaining access to privilege info.

That had been the initial plan, at least. But after that failed, they went for plan B - capture the medic, interrogate her, get enough information to implicate Itachi and bring it before the council of elders. More than Itachi, Danzou expected to expose the Uchiha clan hunger for power and the threat they posed for Konoha's stability.

And, if in the process, they dug any other information that would harm the current Hokage in any way… all the better. It would be leverage to push Tsunade out of the chair – his chair. That's why Danzou saw a gold mine in the pink haired kunoichi - his short cut to Hokage position.

As long as they didn't kill or crippled her, everything would be forgiven afterwards. The leader of Root would've just acted on the village's best interest. In fact, it would be the medic who could face accusations of betrayal later.

Of course, all of Danzou's plans relied on the fact that they got the information out of her. If he had ordered the ambush and interrogation of a Konoha shinobi on foreign territory (and the Hokage's apprentice on top of that) on a whim, Tsunade would have his head, and the other elders wouldn't object.

And that's why both Jin and Kouga were on edge. This was progressing too slowly, and they could not afford it. Soon she would be missed and a team would be sent to track her. Sakura was expected to arrive tomorrow in Konoha, and after realizing her delay they should be sending a scouting party, which would take at least a day to track them. So, they had three days to work.

Jin felt frustration weight on him along with the weariness. He had been diving into her mind for twelve hours, and he came to realize that more time wouldn't help it – he couldn't pull info out of her without causing permanent damage.

They had to find other means to get what they wanted out of the kunoichi. They would have to negotiate with her. They needed to inform Danzou of this bump in the road.

Kouga seemed to have come to the same realization. "Go back to Konoha to present the current situation to Danzou-sama and request further instructions," he ordered. "It'll take you a day to get there, a few hours to report and get orders, and another day to get back."

After a second of hesitation, Jin acquiesced to his superior's orders.

**- 00 -**

Jin was already feeling worn out even before he crossed Fire Country's borders. After using chakra throughout the night he wasn't at top shape to travel back to Konoha. But for all he would complain in his head, he knew the pink haired medic probably felt worse. Jin wondered if she had woken up already by now, probably not.

If only she wasn't so damn stubborn… and skilled. If everything went according to plan, she wouldn't have gotten a scratch on her. They would've put her down gently with the drug, dug her mind for the information and taken her back to Konoha.

But nothing went according to plan. Kouga ended up with a few broken ribs, the medic was uncooperative, and the mission was unaccomplished. Jin still wanted to understand how she managed to refute counteract his techniques.

He had a good guess though. According to her profile, Sakura was quite adept at countering not only genjutsu, but any kind of mind jutsu. She was one of the few shinobi who were able to dispel Sharingan based jutsus by herself. Of course it had to be taken under consideration she had two Sharingan users on her team… and who knows what Uchiha Itachi had been teaching her?

Jin never liked the Uchiha clan to begin with, but even worse, Uchiha Itachi had been manipulating Sakura to serve his clan purposes – Danzou-sama had been clear about that. Jin may not appreciate all the means Root made use of, but sometimes underhanded methods were necessary.

What troubled him though was the lack of evidence that Sakura might have inadvertently leaked privileged information. The thought that maybe Danzou-sama had misjudged the woman had crossed his mind more than once. What if she and the Uchiha were really simply romantically involved? It would mean trouble for Danzou. The elder could lose his position in the Council and any chance of sitting on the Hokage's chair. Maybe even face serious accusations. Root would be disbanded.

No. Danzou would never allow it. There were means to deal with this scenario. The most obvious was to wipe Sakura's memory and stage an ambush by some random rogue shinobi. They would leave her where a scouting party could find her and she would be back without any remembrance.

With his abilities, the process of erasing memories was nowhere near as difficult as trying to extract information. Jin would just have to send a pulse of chakra into the right area of her brain and she would forget the last few days. A week at the most.

Danzou was an excellent strategist, he certainly had thought-

Jin froze on the next tree branch.

Danzou-sama had certainly thought of this possibility. Therefore, he would most likely have thought of a contingency plan for this scenario even before the beginning of this mission.

Kouga was the mission leader. Danzou would have briefed him on what to do in case he couldn't extract the information from the medic. '_So why had he sent you back to Konoha to get new orders?'_

The knot in his stomach forced him to realize he already knew the answer.

If they wanted her memory wiped, Kouga would've already ordered him to do so. The only other option to their dilemma was simple.

Kill her.

They wouldn't. If they didn't find anything it should mean the girl had done nothing wrong. She was a loyal Konoha shinobi and they had no reason to execute her. Just erase the memories. Just let her go.

But the mere fact that Kouga sent Jin back to the village meant he wanted him out of the way. Out of the way so he could finish the mission.

Come to think now, Jin was sure he wouldn't take this order easily. Even if it came directly from Danzou. He would argue fervently against it, and do anything to prevent this unnecessary execution. Kouga must've realized this as well.

Jin darted back towards the cave as fast as he could. An unpleasant lump in his throat.

In his frenzied run through tree tops he kept thinking about Sakura laying unconscious on the cave floor, vulnerable, and at the mercy of his Root captain. And that thought frightened him more than the fact that he was betraying Danzou-sama and Root.

There was no way this would end well for him. But right now, he couldn't bring himself to care.

**- 00 -**

"Why did you come back?"

Kouga's uniform had several red stains adorning it. Stains that had not been there when Jin left hours ago. He had an impulse to walk past his captain and enter the cave to see Sakura and placate his fears. But he knew he wouldn't be allowed.

Staring hard at the man in front of him, he addressed his sempai with an icy tone. "What did you do to her?"

"Well, since your mind tricks were useless, I resorted to good old fashion interrogation," he grinned. "Your turn. Why did you disobey my order?"

At his lack of response, Kouga scoffed. "Danzou-sama was right after all. You are not cut to be in Root."

Jin threw a shocked look at him.

"Our leader saw your talent – you are a gifted shinobi. But despite his best efforts, you simply came too late for Root. You were already tainted by too many emotions, had already built too many weaknesses. This mission was your test. And you failed." Kouga said with typical detachment.

Jin's stomach sank. Danzou, for whom he had the utmost respect, disregarded him as nothing. Expendable. All his devotion, his services… thrown away. He'd gladly die for the mission, but to be discarded like this. Betrayed. He felt betrayed.

His inner turmoil was cut short by Kouga's voice. "Why are you so surprised? You had to see this coming. After all, you are about to turn against Danzou-sama, right? You were thinking about attacking me and saving the medic, weren't you?"

Jin kept a sharp eye on him as his captain approached.

"Well, let me tell what'll happen. I'll kill you, then I'm gonna torture the girl some more to get whatever info I can. After I'm done with her, I'll left her body to be found by Konoha scouts. Honestly, I really think she was innocent in all this, so why not let her have a proper burial ceremony with all the honors, right? As for a traitor like you… I'll dump your body somewhere in River Country and let you be tagged as MIA or rogue."

Staring at his captain's cold demeanor while saying such words made Jin's blood boil. He thought about everything he had done for Root, all the sweat and blood he shed. He thought about his father disappointment and shame if his son went rogue. And Sakura. God. He imagined her broken and bloodied inside that cave after having done nothing wrong.

Kouga approached and Jin decided to hold nothing back. He wouldn't die here and he wouldn't die today. Above all… he wouldn't die a traitor to his village.

**- 00 -**

"Stop yelling, brat!" the Hokage barked.

"Only after you let us go, baa-chan," Naruto snapped back loudly.

For his part, Sasuke was unimpressed. He looked more exasperated than anything else. The only person who was more familiarized with the blond's antics than him was Sakura. Too bad she wasn't here to share the burden that was Naruto.

And that was exactly their problem.

Their pink haired teammate was supposed to arrive early this morning, but the hours passed and the girl never showed. Hours after lunch, both men decided to get Tsunade's consent to go look for her and escort her back.

Which was promptly denied.

"She's barely half a day late. Some shinobi take up to four days to complete this route," the Hokage reasoned without raising her eyes from the scroll she read.

"Sakura always makes this trip in three days, Tsunade-sama. Sometimes even less," the Uchiha said in a respectful tone.

"When she travels with you, maybe. But she's traveling alone with a large backpack. Maybe Sakura is coming at a leisured pace, taking her time. I know if it was me coming back to these," she gestured at both men, "I'd take all the time I could."

Sasuke scowled, but Naruto either ignored or didn't register the offense. "Exactly! She's alone! God knows what could've happened by now," the blond argued.

"Hokage-sama, just let us go fetch her. If Sakura's really arriving, we'll meet her half way and come back together. It'll probably only take a few hours." Sasuke had a more practical and reasonable approach to problems, but the older woman still wasn't dissuaded.

"No. If you miss each other somewhere along the way, you'll end up going all the way to the River Country's border. It's only to be expected from team seven to pull something idiotic like this. Besides, I need you both and Kakashi to leave tonight for that mission in Fuuzen."

"But if we wait, Sakura-chan can come with us," Naruto tried.

"She won't have time to prepare. And, I'm granting her free time after this mission of hers."

"But baa-chan, we-"

"Shut up!" she cut Naruto's whining. "If she doesn't arrive by tomorrow I'll send ANBU, ok? And you better go to that mission in Fuuzen with Kakashi, or so help me God…" she sighed. "When she arrives I'll let you know."

Her tone was final and left no room for discussion.

Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke dragged his friend out of her office by the scruff of his shirt. He knew when he lost a battle, and pushing the Hokage any further would end up badly – really badly – for them.

A moment after her office was once again in silence a figure emerged from the shadows.

"You called, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade put down her scroll to regard the ANBU kneeling in front of her desk. "Communicate with the west border patrols. Ask them if they saw any Konoha kunoichi coming from Suna in the last few days."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Anything else?"

After a moment of hesitation she spoke. "It may be nothing, but in any case, have a searching team on stand to leave tomorrow."

The masked shinobi bowed and left to execute the Hokage's biddings.

Itachi agreed with her. It was probably nothing; Sakura would probably arrive in Konoha soon. But in any case… he knew exactly what team he would put on standby to go look for her.

* * *

**Leave reviews and let me know your thoughts on it.**

**Thanks guys! :)**

**dai86**

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


	8. and truths

**I had already posted this chapter months ago, but now I re-written it, trying to make it sound a little less mellow and boring.**

**Truthfulpen: Thank you for your review. I'm so happy that you're enjoying the fic. As for the spelling problems... well, yeah, it's not my forte. I review the chapters before posting them, but English is not my first language and quite often these sort of things happen. I'm trying to improve, though. If you catch any more mistakes, please let me know.**

**Reviews and comments are all welcomed (whatever helps me improve).**

**Thanks!**

**dai86**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

** … and truths**

* * *

**Five years ago...**

As Sakura grasped the edges of consciousness, she became aware of an unpleasant sense of pain. Her limbs felt heavy and her body stiff. Everything seemed blurry and confused. Yet, among the cloud of haziness she could feel a comforting presence hovering over her. There was a cooling touch on her forehead as she heard a soft whisper. "Shhh, you're fine. Forget the pain."

And in the same moment the pain ebbed away, leaving a pleasant feeling of numbness.

She tried to reach for that voice, that comforting whisper echoing in her mind. It made her feel safe, the way she felt when she was with him…

"Itachi-kun…"

She curled her fingers and winced at how swollen they felt. It dissipated a little of her haziness and she tried to open her eyes. She saw a shadow above her, and after her vision adjusted to the dim light, Sakura recognized the person.

"Jin?..." she mumbled with a confused frown, for an instant remembering the civilian boy who used to bring her flowers.

But the spell was broken abruptly when it all came back to her – the ambush, the fight, the mind probing... the torture. Her pained fingers brought back the memory of Kouga breaking them one by one…

Focusing her vision at the figure next to her, she withdrew her hand, wincing. Jin was kneeling next to her, watching her expectantly. She tried to recoil but her body was mostly unresponsive. All she got was the pain back as her limbs moved awkwardly, drawing a groan out of her.

"You'd better not move before you heal yourself," he advised, not unkindly. "I reset your fingers, and dressed the wounds, but I couldn't do much more."

She eyed him suspiciously for a minute, trying to determine his intentions. But Jin kept his neutral demeanor, even though he felt nowhere near neutral right now. He had just killed his captain when he entered the cave to find a disturbing scene.

His stomach clenched at the sight of the pink haired kunoichi shackled to the cave wall, hanging by her writs, fresh and crusted blood visible throughout her tattered clothes. Jin rushed to her side, moving to lay her down, but as he reached for the shackles he noticed the broken fingers.

He ignored the rage rising in his chest – the culprit was dead already – and focused on treating all the wounds he could notice – broken ribs, dislocated arm, senbon punctures. He did the best he could with her medical supplies and waited for her to regains consciousness… what led to the current situation.

Sakura managed a half sitting position, just know realizing she had been lying on a bedroll, and Jin backed away a little, granting her some space.

He easily saw through her body signs that she was wary of him. The fact didn't sit well with Jin, but he couldn't really blame her. She was gravely injured and at the mercy of one of the shinobi who had attacked her.

Strangely, his voice and eyes managed to soothe her somehow. "Don't worry. You won't be harmed further," he continued, and despite it all, Sakura found herself believing him.

"I'll remove the chakra binds so you can heal yourself properly. Do not try anything stupid."

She nodded.

Performing a short set of seals he touched the tattoo-like markings on her wrists, making them vanish into the skin. Immediately Sakura felt her chakra running through her system again.

"Where's your partner?" She asked while healing herself.

"Gone." She chose not to question the cryptic statement.

"Where are we?"

"Near the border between River and Fire."

The fact that he bothered to answer her questions made her feel bolder enough to probe further. "What happens now?"

"When you're in condition we'll return to Konoha," he answered simply.

Jin saw her distrustful eyes. He was sure she knew it wasn't that simple. They ambushed and tortured a Konoha shinobi in foreign territory without any knowledge from the Hokage. No way she'd believe they were just gonna let her report this.

Earlier, while bandaging the unconscious medic, he had made up his mind. As far as she was concerned, he would stick to the original plan: wipe her memory from the last couple of days and stage an ambush by random rogue shinobi.

The hard part would be dealing with Danzou. Jin was still torn apart with the whole thing – his mentor wanted to get rid of him. Root had been everything to him. He still respected Danzou, and albeit feeling betrayed, could understand his reasoning. Someone had to oppose Tsunade's reckless ruling. The woman could not be made aware of these happenings.

The best solution would be reporting to the other elders. Koharu and Homura shared much of Danzou's political views, but took less drastic measures. Wary of the Uchiha, they would understand the need for his actions, but would not consent to a loyal kunoichi being executed. And as for Jin, he would lose his position in Root, but Danzou wouldn't risk making him disappear once the elders were aware of everything.

This way, he would not be punished by neither Danzou nor Tsunade, hopefully. Sakura would be safe, and Root would not suffer interference by the Hokage.

"We return to Konoha? Just like that? You do know I'll report everything to the Hokage, don't you?" Sakura wasn't defying him so much as stating the obvious – he must know she wouldn't keep quiet about this.

"No, you won't. You can't report what you won't remember."

Sakura witnessed enough of his skills to understand his meaning. And she was not about to let him mess with her mind again. But before she could protest, Jin cut her harshly. "You don't have a choice."

Sakura pressed her lips in a thin line, throwing him a defiant stare. He meant it - she would only stay alive if she left her memories here in this place.

But she had to let Tsunade know of this somehow. And Itachi. They were in danger with these snakes secretly scheming against them within Konoha.

She wouldn't have a chance in a direct confrontation a Root agent on her current state. This demanded underhanded methods…

"Can I have my backpack? I need some salve and bandages, and fresh clothes."

After a second of consideration Jin brought her the bag and turned to leave. "I'll be nearby monitoring your chakra. Again - don't try anything stupid. You have half an hour."

Once outside, he busied himself with the disposal of his captain's body while keeping her chakra on his radar. Kouga had not underestimated him in battle, but his mind seemed unprepared to deal with the full extent of Jin's kekkei genkai.

Looking down on the corpse being consumed by the white flames of the jutsu - one which would leave no evidence behind - he felt oddly detached. There was no anger or sorrow. Just a mild sense of anxiety deep down.

Once the deed was done, he noticed that Sakura's chakra had ceased for a while now. Straining his ears he heard no sound or movement inside, and then decided to see what she was up to.

The medic was on the ground. It seemed she had passed out from chakra exhaustion half way through healing herself.

"Sakura." He called worried. Cradling her upper body he slapped her cheek gently.

"Mm… kay…" she mumbled disorientated.

"You sure?" She seemed to have used too much chakra. Perhaps he had underestimated the extent of her internal injuries.

"Yeah… just dizzy," she breathed on his neck leaning tiredly against him.

Jin just sat there cradling her, listening to her steady breathing. Involuntarily, he rested his chin on top of her head.

It was amazing how easily this girl snuck under his barriers, how easily she made him care about her. What he did up until now was not short of treason, and for what? He didn't owe her anything. But still, he couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry," the words left his mouth before he could stop it, "…sorry for this mess." He pulled back to regard her, and found her green eyes gazing at him softly. She smiled weakly.

"Thanks," she whispered running her fingertips along his jaw.

Something clenched inside his chest when he saw that frail smile. Drained of resistance, he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers.

They were warm and soft, like the first time he had tasted them. The swell within his chest was so overwhelming that every rational thought was pushed aside – there was no Danzou, no political intrigues or shinobi duties.

There was only the girl in his arms.

In a moment they were both lying on the bedroll she had been resting earlier, tangled in a kiss. On the back of his mind Jin knew how messed up this was, but couldn't find in him to care. Not now.

Involuntarily he delved into her mind - not tapping on her thoughts, only the raw emotions. It was a conditioned reflex after years perfecting his kekkei. And within Sakura he found the same desire that burned him. But there was also conflicting feelings of guilt and sorrow.

At first he imagined those were about the Uchiha, but there was a nagging felling in his gut… He felt her lips tensing against his for a second, and then his instincts kicked in. He shot out his hand and grabbed her wrist tightly. He ignored her whimper of pain and twisted it so he could see the inside of her hand.

There was a kakute ring on her finger.

She had tried to prickle him.

It was hidden beneath the bandages covering her fingers so he wouldn't notice it. She must've had it stashed somewhere on her backpack or her clothes. The needle of the ring was likely laced with some drug. Her hand had been lying against his neck just a second ago.

Jin turned hard eyes down on her. "You little conniving-"

"Me? Conniving? Who the fuck deceived me into believing you were my friend? That you cared about me? Fuck you! I hate you!" Her voice was trembling and her face was twisted in an angry frown, but what surprised him were the tears running freely down cheeks. She tried to punch and kick him. And regardless of how weak she was, Jin had a hard time overpowering her.

She was panting, and her cheeks were flushed red from the exertion. Or from rage, he couldn't tell. For his part, Jin wasn't much better. There was a bursting feeling in his chest. He couldn't name it – anger, frustration, betrayal… lust.

"I hate you," she repeated in a weaker voice. "You… you were using me. I thought you cared about me."

"I do care about you! Fuck! Why do you think I'm doing all this, Sakura?"

"Shut up! Don't say my name like you know me. You were just using me to hurt Itachi, weren't you? I won't let you!" She twisted herself beneath him, in a renewed attempt at getting free.

"He's the one using you!" Jin yelled at her, pressuring her wrists against the bedroll and forgetting about her injures.

"You know nothing about Itachi. Someone of your kind would never understand - you use people! You make me sick."

Something inside of Jin snapped at hearing her words. Like Uchiha Itachi was so far above him. He squeezed her wrists even tighter, ignoring her whimper of pain. Looking deep down into those green orbs he saw rage and fear. He wanted to overpower this fiery girl, dominate her – each piece of her, her every thought.

Sakura rage turned into surprise, and then panic when the man above her harshly crashed his lips to hers.

Way passed any reason, Jin pinned her to the bedroll, pushing his weight down on her.

She felt his breath on her ear. "Don't move," he commanded. "Don't struggle. Don't fight. Just surrender."

And her body complied. His voice ringed inside her head, echoed in her chest, making her will melt away. The skin under his hands tingled in a painful and pleasant way, like white fire. When he tipped down and licked her lips, the burning sensation spread though her body.

"Stop," she crooned, swaying her head to the side. "Don't," she could barely whisper. Sakura knew there was something wrong. This was not natural – she did not want to respond to him like this. He was forcing his will on her. It was somehow like being pushed by a Sharingan, but she couldn't avoid it by averting her eyes – this was no doujutsu. It came from his voice, his touch, his scent…

When she turned her head, he attacked her neck, leaving a burning trail while whispering words she didn't quite process, but echoed in her head like a spell. And in the next moment, she didn't even remember why she was resisting.

Subtlety forgotten, Jin didn't measure the intensity of his kekkei genkai - he didn't want her fighting him anymore. He ignored whispers of conscience in the back of his mind. He just tilted his head and kissed her again with hunger.

When she kissed back, it felt like heaven.

**- 0 –**

**Present day…**

He kept gazing at the woman sleeping in her bed. Some strands of pink hair framed her face, and even in the dim light that came through the window, Itachi could see the puffiness in her eyes and the red tint to her nose. She had been crying.

Running his eyes down he noticed a stuffed frog held tightly against her chest.

Watching her now it was hard to believe she had been spiting fire at him an hour earlier. Itachi remembered her hurtful words, and the disdain in her voice, the rage in her eyes. Something in his chest squeezed at the memory - funny how she could always elicit such strong emotions from him.

But he had a purpose to fulfill this moment. If she couldn't be honest with him, he would yank the truth out of her. Pushing the guilty feeling in his gut, Itachi let his obsidian eyes bleed into crimson.

Sakura had always had a natural talent at deflecting mind jutsus, including those cast by a Sharingan. He knew it. He had taught her many of these techniques, after all. But if he took her by surprise, she wouldn't have time to react before he got what he wanted.

When her instincts kicked her awake, Sakura registered a body straddling hers and her hands pined above her hear in the bed. She didn't even have time to feel panic before her eyes locked with two spinning Sharingan. Confusion took her by surprise and she was at lost of what to do as she felt somebody delving into her mind.

She was dragged back to an old memory. A memory she fought to bury deep down within her. Suddenly she was in that cave again, lying under the Root shinobi, pleading in her mind for him to stop, even as she reciprocated his advances.

"Stop," she whimpered against his lips. "Jin, don't…" she tried to say something, but it died on her throat when she felt his hands tugging at her clothes. Squeezing her eyes shut and fisting the hand under his hold tightly, she called weakly, "Itachi."

The scene kept unfolding, but she didn't want to see that. She knew what would happen. She saw it on her mind one too many times. Why was she seeing this now?

Suddenly she remembered the Sharingan forcing its way through her memories.

Itachi.

The idea of him watching this brought her despair. She didn't want him to see this. She didn't want anyone to see it. It was too humiliating.

She pushed her mind against the strength of the Sharingan to no avail. She was too distressed by the memory unfolding right before her eyes. She worked so hard to forget it, but there it was, more vivid than ever. She tried to cry out in frustration, but the voice stuck in her throat.

This was torture.

She watched what Jin had done to her that day, and the events that followed. She could still feel the stickiness of his blood on her. She wanted to throw up.

It wasn't after what it felt like an eternity that she found strength to push against the doujutsu again. "Stop it!" She screamed in her head. "Please, just stop!"

"… stop…" her weak sob echoed in the dark bedroom as Itachi retreated his eye technique. He looked down, wide eyed, at large green eyes. She was panting, not even blinking, and yet, tears flowed down the sides of her face.

They kept staring at one another, not uttering a single word. Time seemed to stand still.

But it didn't take long for him to notice he was still straddling her, pinning her against the bed. And right then, it felt so wrong. Swiftly he got up and stood by the bed, eyes never leaving her. His sharp vision didn't miss the slight tremble of her body. Something twisted in his stomach.

The pink haired girl rolled sideways and sat on the bed with her back turned to him.

"Why didn't you tell me, Sakura?" There was an uncharacteristic tremor in Itachi's voice.

"Go away," she choked.

"Sakura-"

"Get out!" She tried to push him but Itachi fought, subduing her halfhearted attempts at hitting him. He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her fists. "Please Sakura, just talk to me." She slumped against his chest, her weak squirming fading out.

"Have I ever hurt you? Have I ever gave you reason not to trust me?"

He was glad when she shook her head weakly.

"So trust me."

They remained in silence, holding each other. Itachi patiently waited for her to open up, letting her take her time, soaking in her long lost warmth. After a long time in the dark room, it occurred to him that she might not be ready for this. But then her meek voice broke the silence.

"I was so stupid. I should've seen they were shinobi. They fooled me for months, and there were always little signs I should've noticed, but I ignored them because…" she hesitated, "because I liked it... liked the attention he gave me."

Itachi didn't give away any reaction and just kept listening.

"I loved you. I was happy, but I constantly felt like your dirty little secret, like I wasn't good enough for you. Honestly, what would you see in a seventeen year old kunoichi with no clan? And then Jin..." Sakura paused. "He was always around, always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. Shamelessly pursuing me in front of everybody. I didn't want him, not really. But I felt flattered. Wanted."

She sobered up as she continued.

"And then after the ambush, the torture, he –" she paused, "I could've… I should've fought harder." Itachi could see feel her body trembling, and was taken aback by the anger tone in her voice. "I was supposed to be good at this. I should have been able to beat his technique. I was one of the strongest kunoichi in the village, but I just laid there and let him do that to me!" She was borderline hysterical now. "I let him. I was the one who let him rape me!"

Sakura was sobbing uncontrollably against his chest. She had never acknowledged out loud what happened to her, and until now she didn't realize how much it still hurt her.

He held her tightly against him, feeling as pained as her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sakura. I never meant to make you feel that way," he said miserably. "And don't believe for a second it was your fault. It was anyone's fault but yours. I won't let you put this on yourself. Do you hear me?"

He felt a small satisfaction when he felt her nodding against him.

Leaning against him, resting her head under his chin, she started to feel a little calmer after a while. "The next few months after that we were all threading on thin ice because of Danzou. Tsunade had a hard time dealing with him, and I was hidden, ordered not to say anything to anybody. Eventually she was able to isolate him from the Council and intervene in Root - which had a perfect timing since they discovered an imminent plan to execute a coup. After that not even Homura or Koharu interceded for him."

Itachi remembered these facts from a few years ago. It was so hush-hush that no even him, as ANBU captain, was fully aware of the events. Tsunade had told everybody Sakura had returned from Suna and immediately sent on a confidential mission with Kakashi.

"Kakashi was guarding you during the investigations on Danzou and Root," Itachi realized.

Sakura nodded. "Weeks later I realized I was pregnant. It didn't take much effort for Kakashi to realize how that happened. He was great, but comforting was never his forte. I – I didn't know what to do, and Tsunade was so caught up with the political mess. When everything settled down and we talked, we realized what little options I had. I didn't wanna an abortion, but when I was to show up with a baby, I wouldn't have any way to explain - nobody could know the circumstances in which I got pregnant."

Itachi frowned. "So, you never told anyone about what happened? Your teammates? Your friends?"

"Only Tsunade and Kakashi knew."

Itachi felt angry at the Hokage for forcing Sakura to keep something like this to herself all these years, to bear alone the consequences. Itachi had seen tonight how much it has been hurting her.

"But soon others will know," she told him. "I had hoped that Kazuki would never develop any kekkei genkai. From what I learned very few shinobi from the Yamanaka clan manifest it. They consider a blessing to be gifted with it," she let out a dry laugh. "Ironic, huh? I prayed everyday of his life for it to never happen."

"And the Yamanaka clan approached you to question about this."

"They'll want to know about Kazuki's father. That's why Tsunade arranged the meeting - she'll have to reveal classified information. Tell them about his participation in Root, about what happen back then… God, I can only picture Inoichi-san's face."

"I'll be there with you."

"What? Itachi! You can't! If Tsunade-sama finds out that I told you she's gonna kill me!"

"You told me nothing - I took the information from you."

"Then she's gonna kill you!"

Itachi seemed unimpressed. "Sakura, I won't let you push me away again. I let you fool me before by using my feelings. It won't happen again."

She twisted her hands guiltily. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I never meant to hurt you."

Itachi buried his face on the pink tresses. "You could've told me, you know? I'm ANBU. I would've understood the need for confidentiality. You didn't have to explain anything, you just had to ask and I'd be there for you."

Sakura snuggled in his arms, sighing.

"It hardly seemed like a possibility given the consequences. Tsunade told me we could take care of it discreetly, and I seriously considered it. But in the end I couldn't do it. It was a child - my child. I knew I'd regretted if I had done it," she placed her hands on her belly, remembering. "It was my decision to keep him and I was sure you wouldn't accept it, especially when I couldn't give any sort of explanation. So, once I made my decision I tried to let you go easy. But you kept pushing and pushing me. I snapped and blurted out all those horrible things. I just wanted you to stop asking questions I couldn't answer."

Her voice was remorseful and Itachi observed her trying to wipe her tears with the heel of her hand.

Itachi knew this was partially his fault. He never gave her any reasons to believe she could lean on him. A man who would not even assume their relationship publicly would never accept to raise someone else's child. "You never considered the possibility I would accept to raise Kazuki with you," he realized.

"I never imagined-" Sakura remembered the beautiful ring he brought her, and that she had thrown back at his face. "You never wanted anyone to know about us… I know how things work in your clan. They would be horrified at the idea of someone like me with their heir. It would cause distress between you and your parents. Your father would have disowned you, and Sasuke would be caught in the rift too."

Sakura said this with such certainty that a sudden realization hit him.

"My father talked to you."

She didn't say anything, but the way her shoulders stiffened was answer enough.

His father knew about them! Itachi remembered those veiled warnings about getting involved with the wrong woman. He knew that he was seeing Sakura. Someone must've discovered and told him.

"What did he tell you? Did he threaten you?" Itachi held her by the shoulders to look into her eyes.

She shook her head weakly, averting her eyes. "No. He was very polite."

Itachi didn't doubt that. Fugaku was the kind of man who knew how act corteous even while crushing his opposition. Didn't mean his actions weren't brutal, though.

"What did he tell you exactly?"

She tried to look indifferent. "He said I was just a fling for you, that if it was anything serious you wouldn't have kept a secret from your family. He put everything so rationally - everything your father said made so much sense to me back then. He told me it was all just for fun, but if anybody found out about what we were doing, it would bring grave problems for us both. He asked me to distance myself, for your sake. And he offered me compensation."

"Compensation?" Itachi frowned.

"Money," Sakura clarified.

Itachi clenched his teeth.

"I didn't take it, of course."

He knew that. The simple offer must've been enough for her to feel humiliated.

God, how much happened to her that he wasn't aware of? He should've seen through her lies – the lies she told him to spare him. He should've been there to protect her. From his father, from the rumors, from Danzou. In the end everything that happened to her was because of him.

"It was easier, you know? Easier to just push you away instead of risk hearing everything your father told me coming from your mouth – that it was all just for fun."

"I would never say that, Sakura."

"I know, but there was a prickle of doubt in my mind, and I let my fears take over. Besides, what would happen then? We were just gonna raise Kazuki together? Your clan would never leave it alone – they would have made my life hell, and it would have been even worse for Kazuki."

Itachi understood her actions now, she was sheltering herself and her baby. His attitude towards their relationship in the past only served to fill her with doubts. He had never been very outspoken about his feelings, and never took the time to explain himself, he just assumed Sakura understood why he acted so secretive about their personal affairs.

"I'm sorry," he cradled her face. "I'm sorry," he repeated touching his forehead to hers.

"Itachi?" Sakura didn't understand what he was apologizing for.

"I'm sorry," he sounded deject. "I should have protected you."

"You didn't know, Itachi," she felt tears escaping her eyes again. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Yes, you did. But I didn't hear." He remembered her whispering his name in that dreadful memory.

Sakura hadn't cried so much in years. She just kept everything buried inside, and now it was like the dam had broke. But it felt good, like washing away her soul. After all these years, she felt she could breathe again.

* * *

**(Edited on May, 2012)**


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